Aftershocks (Alti Returns 3)
by DJ Dubois
Summary: After "Send in the Clones" (Xena), Alti and the Xena clone join up with the Renegades to attack Tucson.
1. Aftershocks Part 1

Aftershocks (Part 3 of the Alti Returns Trilogy)  
By David J. Duncan  
June 2001  
  
Note: The characters from Forever Knight belong to Sony Tri-Star. The characters from Xena Warrior Princess belong to Universal, StudiosUSA, and Renaissance Studios. The characters from "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns" belong to Universal. All other characters are fictious and of my own creation. Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com.   
  
Spoiler Alert: "Send in the Clones", "Adventures in the Sin Trade" Parts 1 & 2  
  
Prologue-The Royal Hut, Amazon Lands, c. 82AD  
  
Gabrielle, Bard-Queen of the Amazons writes....  
  
After defeating Alti in Egypt for the second time, we thought that she wouldn't surface for a while. And, for sixty years, this was the case. Then, the shamaness once again popped up in the future time of our friends, David and Angela Dubois, causing them, their allies, and us a great deal of trouble. Somehow, she had managed to duplicate Xena and me to use in her evil scheming and the resulting situation would set off changes for everyone associated with us in that reality....  
  
This is the scroll describing the last battle with Alti, those changes, and the reappearance of the Enforcer, Bertrand du Dijon....   
  
  
Chapter 1 (Redoing "Send in the Clones"--a junk yard--Brooklyn or Queens? 1998)  
  
Xena toiled over the makeshift forge, grinding away at a piece of scrap steel with the magical grinding device. Sparks flew everywhere as the project took shape. For all of the crap that she had put up since waking up in that strange place, this weird energy had its perks. "Imagine having this power source on my campaigns," she savored. "I would have taken the entire world."  
  
Standing close by her friend, Gabrielle wondered what her friend was up to. Since waking up in the strange white room with those people, one calamity after another had befallen her. And then, that doctor had turned the local warlords on her! What was their name...police? There was something familiar about that woman from the laboratory, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Worse still, the Warrior Princess was starting to reexhibit her darker tendencies. "That's it!" the Bard yelled. "Xena, what are you doing?"  
  
"I'm makin' a weapon," her friend slurred, pulling the device's cord, and holding the sword up in the air. The sun caught it, making it glisten. "Yeah, that looks about right!"  
  
"So, what do we do now?" the poetess probed.  
  
"Lemme think, will ya?" Xena snapped. Ever since she had busted her companion out of the local prison, the blonde had driven her crazy with her endless questions.  
  
Suddenly, a Thunderbird careened around several corners, slamming to a halt about thirty feet from them. The doors opened and out spilled the three groupees who had observed them from the start.   
  
Xena snarled, "Not you three again! Beat it!"  
  
The lab assistants, two women and a man, retreated to a safe haven behind a nearby junk pile. Having watched all of the warrior's exploits on TV, they knew better than to cross her. Worse still, they knew that their boss had infected her with the bad memories of her Conqueror days and that these weren't the original warrior and bard, but rather, clones grown in a laboratory.  
  
Then, the driver's side door slowly eased open and out stepped a tall, husky woman with really intense eyes and long brown hair. Despite her modern trappings, she was known to the two companions almost immediately.  
  
"Alti," Gabrielle stated.  
  
The reincarnated witch stepped up to her and shoved her closer to Xena. "Quiet!" she ordered.  
  
"Yeah, what is it now?" the warrior inquired, sheathing the newly minted blade.  
  
The former shamaness grinned menacingly, "You must remember all of the conquests as well as the thrill of the bloodlust and the spoils. Side with me and it will be yours once again!"  
  
Xena's head swum with images and flashbacks to when she lead her army across the Antique world. Amplified by Alti's urging, the thrill of the advance was overwhelming.  
  
Gabrielle stared into her companion's eyes and pleaded, "Xena, you can't go down that path again after what we've been through!"  
  
At those words, the positive memories flooded across the warrior clone's consciousness. She saw herself fighting evil in all of its forms. Moreover, it was the joy of this voyage which yanked at her heart and soul. For a long minute, the two conflicting forces clashed in her psyche. The warrior held her head and gritted her teeth before letting out a pained wail.  
  
"Xena, are you?" Gabrielle probed.  
  
"Shut up!" the enraged warrior bellowed, backhanding her companion into a nearby heap of scrap.  
  
Alti cackled with satisfaction. This would be worth everything she had put up with from these two. "Finish her!" she advised.  
  
"Yesss!" the Thracian clone hissed and advanced on her friend. Her sword was raised high overhead.  
  
The bard-clone jumped to her feet and raised her scythes just in time to block the fatal sword thrust. For five minutes, the two women matched blow for blow. Then, Xena feinted, causing Gabrielle to overcommit. The former used this opening to slam the other with the knob of her sword handle, dropping her unconscious to the ground.  
  
The warrior stared at her unconscious opponent, once again feeling the warring feelings inside of her head and not knowing what to do next.  
  
"Finish her!" Alti bellowed impatiently.  
  
"Nah," Xena disagreed. "Let the fool live. If she's smart, she'll stay out of our way!"  
  
Alti shook her head furiously. As much as she disagreed, she couldn't risk alienating the clone at this point. "Very well. Come with me."  
  
Xena cautiously climbed into the Thunderbird's passenger seat, not knowing what to expect next. "How does this thing work?" she asked.  
  
"Leave the driving to me," the other woman informed her. "Just sit back." With that, the car took off and sped away from the scene.  
  
For five minutes, the scene was quiet. Then, the three lab assistants emerged from their hiding place, moving close to the fallen Gabrielle.  
  
"Is she...?" the man, a twentish bookworm with glasses and a dark goatee, asked desperately.  
  
"I don't know!" the tall woman wailed, shaking the bard-clone's body. "Gabrielle, wake up!"  
  
The third one, a stalky dark haired woman, poked their creation in the shoulder as well.  
  
Finally, the poetess stirred, "Uhhh...Francesca...Got to...find Francesca...." and slumped to the ground.  
  
The three assistants looked at each other bewilderedly. Who was Francesca?  
  
"Cy...Cybelle...Rogers...Dave...Angie....Somehow...Am...herst, Massachusetts...Cybelle's...there," the bard-clone stammered and lapsed back into unconsciousness.  
  
"Oh...kay!" the tall woman exclaimed. "What do we do?"  
  
"What else?" the shorter woman indicated, pulling out her cellphone. "What's the area code for that city?"  
  
The man flipped through his pocket calendar until he came to the area code map. "Amherst's in western Massachusetts...and the code is 413," he indicated.  
  
"Are you sure?" the tall one disagreed.   
  
"Sure, the university's there," he yelled. "Look..."  
  
"Hold it down," the shorter woman directed. "I've got the operator! Yes! Can I get information for Amherst from you?"  
  
"Certainly, ma'am," the operator told her. "Whose number are you looking for?"  
  
"I need the number for Cybelle Rogers please," she indicated, looking franctically at the unconscious bard. "It's an emergency."  
  
"There's a number for a Matthew and Cybelle Rogers. Shall I put you through for an extra fifty cents?" the representative answered.  
  
"Yes! Thank you!" the woman replied and listened as the connection was made and the dial tone sounded.  
  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The sun shone warmly down on the Rogers home in Amherst. Outside, Matt stood by the grill, watching the chicken grill over the open flame. Inside, his wife, Cybelle sat and talked to her brother, Dave Dubois, his wife, Angie, as well as the former two's cousin, Francesca.  
  
"I'm glad that you could all make it up here for some peace and quiet," the hostess smiled.  
  
"Believe us," Dave sighed. "After that last mission, we needed some time off."  
  
"You can say that again," Angie indicated, rubbing her right temple. A sudden flash of pain coursed through her head.   
  
"Are you okay, Princess?" he asked.  
  
"I...I..don't know. For some reason, there's something going on...with Xena," the oncologist stated.  
  
Then, Francesca grabbed her head, "Arrgh! Mama Mia! What?"  
  
Dave stared at Cybelle. After what they had just been through two days earlier in the Egyptian desert, this was an unwelcome event.   
  
The priestess nodded and ministered to the other two women. "Turn on the television. See if there's anything related to this mess on the air."  
  
He turned on the appliance and immediately saw the media telecast of the carnage in the greater New York metropolitan area. "What in the name of...? Sis, take a look!"  
  
"Goddess preserve us!" she exclaimed. "What could do that?"  
  
"Xena..." Angie sighed. "But, she's still with me, so...."  
  
The siblings looked at each other confusedly. Now what was going on? And how would they get to the bottom of it with Angie and Francesca being in pain?  
  
Then, the phone rang interrupting their thoughts.  
  
Cybelle answered it, "Hello? This had better be important."  
  
"Y...Yes, Ma' am. You don't know me, but my name's Jenny. I'm calling from New York...." the tall girl indicated.  
  
The priestess stared once again at the TV. What was that girl doing calling her in the midst of that battle zone? "How did you get this number? And what are you doing out in that carnage?" she asked.  
  
"Well, a friend asked me to call...you. Here she is...." Jenny continued nervously.  
  
"Cy..Cybelle?" Gabrielle gasped weakly.  
  
The priestess nearly dropped the receiver. Turning back to the couch, she saw Francesca struggling to sit up. "Hang on, my friend. We'll be there shortly."  
  
"Th...Thank you," the bard-clone sighed and slipped back into unconsciousness.  
  
Jenny grabbed the phone again and probed, "So, what do I...?"  
  
"You stay put and keep a careful eye on her. I'll be there shortly," Cybelle instructed, hanging up. Walking over to Francesca, she asked, "How are you doing?"  
  
"Not well," the Italian literature professor indicated. "But...I'll survive. It's Gabrielle. Somehow, she's in pain. But if she's inside of me, then who?"  
  
"Can you get Matt to check on Jonathan, Deirdre, and the twins?" Angie queried.  
  
"Sure....See you in a few minutes," Francesca agreed.  
  
Cybelle ran into the bedroom and changed into her emerald robes. Then, she reemerged into the living room and created a cloud portal. "Come on. The bus is leaving!"  
  
For their part, the Duboises jumped readily into the passageway followed closely by their guide.  
  
  
********************************  
  
"So, what did she say?" the male assistant demanded.  
  
"She'll be here shortly. Whatever that means," Jenny indicated.  
  
"This is too weird," their companion added, rubbing her head. Then, in the corner, she saw smoke rising. "Guys, check out the smoke! What's burning?"  
  
The three stared at the fog forming in their midst on an otherwise clear day. From it, Dave, Angie, and Cybelle stepped onto the scene.  
  
The priestess surveyed the territory and asked, "Where is Jenny?"  
  
The tall girl shuffled forward and nervously stammered, "I...I'm Jenny. Sorry to disturb you, but..."  
  
"Cybelle! Dave! Look, it really is Gabrielle!" Angie exclaimed and rushed over to her friend's side.  
  
From within her head, Xena urged, "Angela, let me speak through you."  
  
The oncologist agreed as she stooped over the bard's body.   
  
Then, through her, Xena's voice asked, "Gabrielle? Are you all right? Who did this?"  
  
The bard squinted. For some reason, she knew this woman leaning over her. But, there was no mistaking the voice. "You did...Xena," she whispered.  
  
Before anyone else could respond to that comment, Dave felt a familiar psychic residue and growled, "Sonnuva! It was her! How the Hell did she get free again?" he snarled. Turning to the confused assistants, he growled, "It was Alti wasn't it?"  
  
"Dave, they're scared enough! Stop it!" Angie, now back in control, told him.  
  
The man replied, "Th..That's all right. Yes, he's right. Somehow, our director is Alti reincarnated."  
  
"But, she's dead!" Cybelle protested. "It can't be!"  
  
"She was here," Dave insisted.   
  
"So, how do you...?" the man asked.  
  
The medievalist snickered, "She didn't touch you, did she? Trust me, once she does, you'll feel it when she's around."  
  
"And she touched you?" Jenny asked.  
  
"She sure did," Dave remembered. "Took a piece of me before I took it back." Turning to his companions, he added, "We need to get back home. I need to talk to Nick and Alyce immediately about this. Not to mention your grandfather, Angie. Alti's going to make tracks there looking for him and the box," he noted.  
  
"Indeed," the priestess agreed. "I will be happy to return you out West. Help me with Gabrielle."  
  
"Sure," Angie agreed. Then, stooping over her friend's form, advised her, "Hang on, Gabrielle."  
  
"Come on!" Cybelle advised, waving her friends on towards the portal.  
  
Dave looked around at their surroundings. Something wasn't right...but now wasn't the time. Rushing for the portal, he joined the ladies inside of the fog.  
  
Cybelle, due to her distraction, slowly began to close the portal. However, before she could finish the task, a breeze blew past them and through the spiritual causeway.  
  
"What in Althanor was that?" she wondered. But, it was gone.  
  
Dave looked around again and tapped his sister's shoulder, "Let's go, Sis. If it's anything, we'll deal with it when we get back to Tucson." With that, he followed his wife into the mists.  
  
The priestess nodded and directed, "You all. Go on and be well. Take care and we'll find Alti." She stepped into the mists and was gone.  
  
The three assistants looked at the spot dumbfoundedly for the better part of twenty minutes. Finally, deciding that they wouldn't be doing any further good there, they left the junkyard and headed back for the city proper....  
  
  
Chapter 3 (Tucson)  
  
Meantime, the media wave surrounding the events in the Big Apple hit Tucson like a mach truck. Everyone in the Old Pueblo whether at home, at work, or on the road found a TV set or an Internet connection for immediate updates.  
  
At the University precinct, the day shift shook their heads in wonder. While they were grateful that the carnage had not happened there, nobody should have gone through what the folks in New York did.  
  
In his office, Miguel Ramirez shook his head in wonder. While he didn't approve of vigilantism, Xena had seemed to work within the bounds during her time in the Old Pueblo. Why would she go off the deep end now? "I have no choice. I'll have to put out an APB," he realized.  
  
In the bullpen, Don Schanke and Natalie Lebeau sat at the former's computer, studying the updates as they flashed across the screen.  
  
"I can't believe it, Schank," she murmured.  
  
"Neither can I, Natalie," he agreed. "I know she's intense, but to take apart a downtown area like that? If I were putting money on it, I'd say Dave would be the more likely candidate for that dubious honor. Man-o-man, this is going to put us in a bind."  
  
"There's got to be something else to this," the coroner insisted.  
  
Just then, Tracy Brown swooped into her chair across from Schanke and stared at her friends. "I knew this would happen," she muttered.  
  
"Put a lid on it," he advised.  
  
"Why? Didn't I say she was a menace?" the detective recalled. "And everyone told me to be quiet."  
  
"This doesn't make sense. Angie and Dave were nowhere near there," the ME stated. "Before we go making annonouncements, I'm going to get to the bottom of this mess. Coming, Schank?"  
  
"Absolutely," he agreed. "We'll take my car. Let's roll."  
  
"And what do I tell Ramirez?" Tracy inquired incredulously.  
  
"Tell him we're on a case," Natalie yelled back as they left the bullpen, leaving their friend to watch the store and stew in her juices.  
  
******************  
  
Across town, Nick sat on his couch, pensively staring at the television screen in front of him. The destruction and horror sickened him. Who would have done such a thing? Then again, who was capable of such violence? He immediately realized the two candidates-either Xena or his good friend, Dave Dubois, in one of his enraged states. "I hope it's not either of them!" he sighed and took a draught of cow blood from the glass next to him.  
  
Glancing upstairs, the vampire-detective determined not to awaken his elderly guest who napped in the guestroom. Alexander O' Connell, the elderly archaeologist and his longtime friend, was visiting from Britain and getting reacquainted with his granddaughter, Angie, as well as the vampire. "How much water had gone under the bridge since that night?" he wondered.  
  
Then the phone rang. "Miles," he answered.  
  
"Nick, it's Captain Ramirez. Got the TV on?" Ramirez asked.  
  
"I do, Captain. What is going on?" Nick inquired.  
  
"It seems that eyewitnesses have identified the source as Xena. Listen, Miles, I know that you've contacted her in the past. Do you know where she is?" the captain probed.  
  
The detective considered the question for a moment and answered, "No, Captain...not at the moment. I have had contact with her in the past, but we just happened to run into each other."  
  
Ramirez chuckled into the phone. "All right, Detective. I'll buy that for now. If you do happen to run into her, you'll have to bring her in. There's an APB out on her and her friend, the blonde. Comprende?"  
  
"Si," Nick replied and hung up. It was as if his worst fears were being answered. If he or any other TPD officer tried to arrest the Warrior Princess, it would be a blood bath. Worse still, Dave would never allow Angie or Francesca to be brought in without a fight. And in full "Child mode," he doubted that anyone could budge the professor.  
  
"Excuse me, Nicholas?" the elderly archaeologist inquired, shuffling down the stairs. "Whatever is the matter?"  
  
The vampire looked nervously over his shoulder at his friend and lied, "Nothing. Why?"  
  
The old man snickered and continued, "Now, Nick. I know when you're lying to me. Remember when you denied being a vampire? I found out differently, remember?"  
  
"You did indeed," Nick admitted, remembering how as a teenager, his guest had discovered his secret. Fortunately, he had kept it from everyone else.  
  
"Now, what's going on?" the other repeated. Then, he looked at the screen and exclaimed, "My word!" The image of Xena's wrecking a police barricade made him livid. "No, it can't be. She's a good person now! There is no way she would have...."  
  
Nick stared at the other in confusion. Had the professor met the warrior? "You know her?"  
  
"We met back in 1937. She and three companions...let's see...her companion, Gabrielle, a sorceress, and another man. The sorceress was always serene. She could whisk us from place to place with some sort of cloudy portal and worked with herbs and chants. I remember the man as well. Heaven help me, he was a terror! I remember him storming about. He scared Uncle Jon nearly to death and from what Mum and Dad told me, took on a whole army of mummies almost single handedly," Alex recalled.  
  
The detective smiled and stated, "You met Cybelle and Dave then."  
  
"You know them?" his guest interjected.  
  
"Sure. The so-called madman is your granddaughter's husband, David Dubois. The priestess is his sister, Cybelle. They are Lorenzo's grandchildren," the vampire explained. "Of course, that remains a secret."  
  
"Absolutely," Alex agreed. "I owe them all my life. But, in Xena's case, she was always focused and in control. In fact, if I didn't know better...."  
  
"What?" his host asked. "Go on."  
  
"Well," the other continued, fingering the medallion of his necklace. "I would figured that the witch, Alti was behind this, but she's dead. Pray you never run into that one, Nick. She's evil incarnate. I'll be happy when your friend, Alyce, takes this necklace to the museum. Wearing it is getting a little too dangerous for my taste."  
  
The detective shrugged and took another draught from his glass. "I can sympathize. As for Alti, we met about two years ago, she and some of Xena's other foes attacked here. Dave and I confronted her in the library and it wasn't a pretty sight. We defeated them, but for Dave, it's been a fight ever since. I remember her touch making me relive old nightmares."  
  
"I know," his friend shuddered, recalling the attack at Thebes. "Nobody should have to go through that." Glancing at his watch, he noticed that it was almost 9:15. "Has the sun set yet? I would like to talk with Angie and David."  
  
"Absolutely," Nick agreed and stared out the window. The sun had already sunk below the western mountains and the light grew dimmer by the minute. "Let's go. We'll use the Caddy."  
  
*******************  
  
FBI Headquarters in San Francisco bustled with activity over the mess in New York. As with their Tucson counterparts, the agents watched the updates, talked on the phones, and were briefed on every detail.  
  
In the midst of this business, Steve Petersen sat at his desk, holding his head in his hands. "Dave, I listened to you....I trusted you. Damn, I had her and I let her go!" he hissed under his breath.  
  
At that moment, his boss, William Monroe, rushed up to the desk and asked, "Excuse me, Agent Petersen?"  
  
"Yes, Sir?" Steve inquired.  
  
"Pack your bags, Son. Since you've dealt with this woman before, I'm giving you this assignment," the superior indicated.  
  
"But, that wasn't direct contact, Sir," Steve indicated. "I saw her...even tried to talk her into giving herself up. But that was it."  
  
Monroe studied the man in front of him. Usually, this agent was really forthright and on the ball...the best of his younger personnel. However, he seemed to be hiding something and, even after two years, the report on that Tucson mess still bugged him. Somehow, Petersen was linked to this Xena person. Accordingly, he felt compelled to give the assignment to the younger man. "You have your orders, Agent Petersen. I've been in contact with the Tucson Police and the Arizona State Police and this time...you will have their full cooperation. Bring that woman in. Understand?" he indicated.  
  
"Yes, Sir," Steve accepted. "I'll be on the 6PM flight tonight."  
  
"Excellent. I'll look forward to you first progress report. Good luck," the superior concluded and hurried away.  
  
*******************  
  
LaCroix sat in the radio booth, preparing for his daily Nightcrawler broadcast. For most of the day, he had watched the media circus coming out of the Big Apple. Yes, life was indeed good. The accursed Thracian witch had finally gone berserk; ruining whatever credibility she had built up during her recent adventures. Drinking from the goblet to his left, the former general chuckled, "This is indeed going to be interesting. Whatever will she do now?"   
  
Despite this stroke of fortune, something still bothered him about the situation. While it looked like Xena, fought like Xena, and damaged goods like Xena, she was too maniacal to be the Warrior Princess. "It's almost as if she's under a spell. She hasn't been like this since...Gaul...."  
  
With that, his mind flashed back....  
  
****************************  
  
[Eastern Gaul, 65 AD]  
  
An icy cold wind ripped across the plains of eastern Gaul, chilling the soldiers in the Imperial legion stationed there. Men shivered in their shelters as they awaited their orders or their next tour of guard duty.  
  
In his tent, Lucius of Pompeii checked his equipment and uniform. As always, they were in exquisite order. On the eve of his first battle as a general, he was charged with protecting Roman interests against the barbarian incursions. In particular, it was rumored that Xena was in the area with a hastily raised group of allies. The Emperor's orders were clear: protect the border no matter what. While he knew that the Warrior Princess had long abandoned her marauding ways, the leader also recognized that she was still a fierce threat to Imperial security and thus, needed to be dealt with.  
  
Lucius knew he couldn't allow her to advance past his legion. "May the gods give me strength," he muttered.  
  
"You'll need more than that," a strong male voice informed him from behind.  
  
The general turned to see Ares, god of war, observing his preparations. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked.  
  
The raven-haired man grinned. Lucius was the best of the rising military leaders in the Roman pantheon. If he succeeded here, he would achieve fame throughout the Mediterranean world. If he succeeded that is.... "My dear Lucius, are we so overly wrapped in our role that we have gained some humility?" Seeing the other's poorly concealed scowl, he continued, "No, I suppose not. Well, your test rides this way."  
  
"So, she comes, does she?" the general smiled. "She'll find us ready."  
  
Ares laughed hysterically at this statement.  
  
"Did I say something amusing?" the other wondered to himself.  
  
As sudden as the laughing fit started, Ares ceased it, returning his face to its normal grim countenance. "Actually, to say you're prepared for Xena is amusing. You have no idea of what you're up against. Especially since she's riding here under a full head of steam. Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind."  
  
"Sow the...?" the imperial leader wondered. Then, it struck him. "The barbarians." His mind flashed back to the battle of the North. At that field, his army slew the main vanguard of the German defenders and looted, pillaged, and destroyed without mercy.  
  
The war god nodded, "Yes, when you butchered those tribes north of the Rhine, you brought her wraith down on Rome itself. But, she'll settle for you. I'd retreat if I were you...." With that, he vanished back into thin air.  
  
"Retreat?" Lucius scoffed. "I think not...." And walked out of the tent to survey his troops one last time before the battle.  
  
*********************************************  
  
Back in the present, LaCroix experienced a brief shudder. Whatever had triggered the outburst on the east coast would affect them in Tucson. Call it the insight of an elder or whatever you'd like, but the former Roman knew that there was more to this situation than readily met the eye. Like it or not, he would have to side with that accursed librarian once again. If not for the sake of the city or his children, there was Livia's safety to consider. And after all, wasn't family always the most important thing in the world?  
  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Meanwhile, Cybelle's portal opened within the Duboises' apartment, allowing Dave, Angie, Francesca, and the priestess to carrying their injured friend to the guest room. Gabrielle could barely keep her eyes open.   
  
"Xena....Gotta find...Xena," the Bard-clone murmured. "Can't leave her...with...Alti...."  
  
"Rest, Gabrielle," Angie advised. "As your doctor, I'm telling you to lie still."  
  
Francesca clasped the Potadeian's hand firmly and turned to her cousin. "Angie, if there's anything I can do..."  
  
"Thanks, but she'll live," the oncologist assured the other woman. "Still, that's a nasty bruise. Now, to calm her nerves." Reaching over her shoulder, she drew the sword and changed into the Warrior Princess.  
  
"Gabrielle, I'm here," she declared.  
  
"Xena? You're here....I knew Alti couldn't keep us...apart," the Bard-clone smiled.  
  
"That's right. She can't. Rest now," Xena told her.  
  
"Xena, that was...Angela, wasn't it?" Gabrielle whispered.  
  
"Right," the warrior agreed.  
  
Then, the poetess turned her head. "Francesca. Thank you."  
  
The literature professor embraced her friend. "I owe you my life. It's me that should be thanking you."  
  
Just then, a knock came from the front door.  
  
"Let me get it," Dave stated. "Cybelle, can you bring the girls back here? Xena, stay here with Gabrielle until I give you the all-clear sign."  
  
"Right," the warrior agreed.  
  
The professor hustled out of the room, closing the door behind him. Rushing across the room, he asked, "Who is it?"  
  
"Dave, it's Natalie and Schanke," Natalie answered. "Please let us in."  
  
"Sure," Dave agreed and opened the door. "Come in quickly."  
  
The detective and coroner hurried inside. A quick look around the room told the newcomers that everything seemed in order. "So, where are they?" Schanke asked.  
  
"In the guest room. Xena and Francesca are tending to Gabrielle," Dave explained.  
  
Natalie scratched her head confusedly, "Wait a minute! Did you say that Francesca and Gabrielle were in the room at the same time? That's not possible."  
  
"Up until an hour ago, I would have agreed with you. Unless it's back in ancient Greece, it shouldn't be possible," their host mentioned.  
  
"So how?" Schanke inquired.  
  
"We're not sure," Xena noted, walking into the room. "Francesca and Gabrielle are still in the same body."  
  
"How's Gabrielle?" the coroner inquired.  
  
"She took a hard blow to the head and claims that I gave it to her," the warrior related. "Angela, David, and Francesca found her in New York. Until then, we were in Massachusetts."  
  
"At Cybelle's house," Dave collaborated.  
  
"Then how...?" the detective persisted, rushing over to the guest room door. "Coming in!" he said, opening it.  
  
"Stand back!" Gabrielle's voice commanded.  
  
Schanke stood speechless at the sight in front of him. On the bed, Gabrielle lay resting with a poultice on her brow. Yet, somehow, the Bard also advanced on him with her staff raised to do battle. "Hey! It's okay! Xena, tell her!" he yelled.  
  
"Gabrielle, that's enough," the warrior advised.  
  
"Fine," the poetess relented. "Sorry, she's been through enough."  
  
"So, how?" Natalie probed. "This is amazing!"  
  
"It's almost as if they were cloned. So, if there are two Gabrielles...." Dave started.  
  
"Then, there are two mes as well," Xena completed the thought. "And the other one's with Alti."  
  
"Man-o-man! So, your evil twin is the one who destroyed a good portion of the Big Apple! Wow! But, who's gonna believe it? Geez....I'm not sure I completely believe it." the confused detective gaped.  
  
"We'll have to get both of them together," Dave realized.  
  
"Well, do we ask her nicely to come out?" the ME probed.  
  
"No, she'll come to us," Xena stated. "We still have the chest and the necklace."  
  
"Meaning what?" Schanke asked, still not getting the point.  
  
"Meaning those are the things they took from her back in Egypt," Natalie told him. "After they came back, they had the items with them."  
  
"Her ashes are in the chest and the necklace can stop her. And they're at the museum," Dave noted. "We'll have to tell Alyce to be ready for anything."  
  
At that moment, another knock came from the door.   
  
"Now, who is it?" the professor wondered, the irritation starting to seep into his voice.  
  
"Calm down, David," Xena directed. "Come on, Gabrielle. Let's conceal ourselves for now."  
  
The Bard agreed and followed the warrior's lead into the back room.  
  
Dave walked over to the door and did a psychic sweep. The cold spot on the other side of the door told him that it was Nick. The other presence was that of an elderly man--Grandfather O' Connell. "Great, Nick...can you both come in quickly?" he asked his friend, opening the door.  
  
The vampire detective nodded and guided the elderly archaeologist through the door. After closing it, he turned back to his friend and asked, "Dave, what's going on?"  
  
"Confused? Hell, welcome to the Club!" Dave shook his head. "We have two Xenas and two Gabrielles running around. And, oh yeah, Alti's back...just to make sure that life doesn't get too boring."  
  
"The witch is back?" Alex gasped.  
  
"Not exactly," Xena proclaimed from the back room, opening the door and sticking her head out. "By the way, Nicholas, it's really me."  
  
"She's been with me all day," Dave added. "Watching Alti and her double rip apart New York."  
  
"You want proof? Look in the bedroom, Nick," Schanke indicated.  
  
The former Crusader followed his friend's suggestion and discovered the two Gabrielles within the chamber. "Amazing! There are two of you. But how?" he demanded.  
  
The injured Bard-clone forced her eyes open. "N...Nick...I don't know...Ever since Xena and I awoke in that room with all of the strange metal things, we've been chased and hounded," she complained.  
  
"Were the metal things whirring and have lights? Did you have sticky stuff on you?" Natalie asked.  
  
"Yes, the things were like that. And we had these circular pads on us with string-like things coming out of them," the wounded woman replied. "Also, there were these hard clear coverings...." With that, she lapsed back to sleep.  
  
"So, what do we do?" Alex probed.  
  
Nick nervously glanced out the window. Somewhere out there, the various police agencies were marshalling their forces in preparation for their pursuit of his friends. As one who had often run from the authorities, he had acquired a sense of descretion. Soon, they would have to find a way to clear the warrior companions and defeat the shamaness.  
  
"Hey, Nick, what's up?" Natalie inquired. "You're brooding again...."  
  
"Oh, I'm just thinking of all of the times I had to run from the law over the centuries," he replied.  
  
The coroner pondered his point for a minute. He had definitely had to start and drop enough lives over the course of time. And, how many times had LaCroix framed him in the process? Somehow, he had to find a cure and become mortal so that his life on the run would end. Then, her mind snapped back to the matter at hand. "Sorry. So, what do we do now?"  
  
"We have to keep clear of our cohorts until everything comes together. At least, keep Xena and Gabrielle hidden," the vampire detective stated.  
  
"She can stay here or with me," she agreed. "Hopefully, she'll be feeling better by tomorrow."  
  
"Nick," Alex pointed out. "The exhibition doesn't start for another three days! How are we going to keep them hidden until then?"  
  
"Yeah, that's a good point," Schanke piped in. "Besides, both Tracy and Ramirez are going to be expecting answers. And then, there's the FBI...."  
  
"FBI?" Nick jumped. "When were they called in?"  
  
"Ramirez was on the phone with them today. Since it's a national case, they're taking over," his souvlaki-loving friend indicated.  
  
"Which means that they'll send the agent with the most familiarity...Steve," Dave frowned. "And I asked him to trust me about Xena. Somehow, we have to convince him."  
  
"When Cybelle gets back, I'll ask her to take me and Gabrielle to Althanor," the Warrior Princess suggested. "Since he knows about me and Angela, Steve will check all of my...er...Angela's spots. Trust me, it's the only way. I'll let her call her superior and let him know."  
  
Dave nodded. While he didn't like letting Angie out of his sight during a time like this, it was the only way that the situation would work.  
  
Meantime, the evening seemed peaceful and serene. But to everyone inside of the apartment, it was the calm before the storm.   
  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Night cloaked the city of Toronto. Even as the city bustled with activity, the waterfront area lay dormant allowing for people to come and go as they pleased.  
  
Within the gloom, Alti sulked moodily. Ever since receiving word from the anonymous source, she and the clone had kept a close eye on things. Glancing at the Xena-clone brought a smile to her face. Yes, duplicating the Warrior Princess had been a stroke of genius, and watching her carve a bloody swath through New York thrilled her to no end. If only she had the power from her previous incarnation, she would have gained power incarnate. Now, she could only play the part of the warrior. For most, her ability would have been an enviable role. However, for someone who had known the ways of the shamaness, this state was a reduction in status.  
  
Then, from the shadows, a hoarse voice called, "You are the one they call Alti?"  
  
The witch turned and replied, "I am. You are the one who contacted me?"  
  
"I represent the group who did so. Now, come," the figure beckoned.  
  
"If you're lying," she warned.  
  
"Why would I lie? My companions and I went through a lot of trouble to contact you. Trust me, once you hear what we have to say, I think you'll want to work with us," the figure responded. "Is your friend with you?"  
  
"She is," the former shamaness indicated, pointing to the cloaked figure behind her.  
  
"Very well. This way," the guide advised, holding the door open behind him. "Come, they are waiting for you both."  
  
The two women followed closely behind the representative. Alti felt an icy breeze and sensed several "cold" spots of a similar nature to what she had sensed in Arizona around the detective, Miles, and the Roman, LaCroix. After several twists and turns, the group entered an open chamber. At the room's center, several more people sat around an oak table. Off in the far corner, another man stood mysteriously aloof, shrouded in the shadows.  
  
The man or what seemed like a man sitting at the table's head greeted, "Welcome and thank you for accepting our invitation."  
  
"And what do you want?" Alti snapped.  
  
"Your help with our common adversaries. Certainly you are acquainted with the Warrior Princess and her allies?" the red-haired female sitting halfway between the table's ends probed.  
  
"I've known Xena for many millenia. As for the blonde, the Duboises, and the priestess, I have endured their presence," Alti hissed.  
  
"And their vampire allies?" the negro male inquired.  
  
"If you mean the detective and his master, yes. I would relish the opportunity to avenge myself on them. Unfortunately, I have lost much of my power," the witch commented tersely.  
  
"You mean the abilities you held in your previous incarnation?" the leader posed. Pointing his remote control at the TV and VCR to his right, he started the video files. The screen replayed the battle at the library.  
  
"Where did you get this?" Alti demanded.  
  
"We have our sources," the leader informed her cryptically. "And would you like your power back?"  
  
Alti snickered incredulously, "And you can do that? My body was reduced to ashes!"  
  
"Yes, the remains were recently brought back to the University of Arizona a few days ago along with a certain necklace. The fools brought them together once more," he continued.  
  
"Would you reclaim them?" the shadowy observer baited, stepping into the light. Bertrand du Dijon had watched the debate with interest up to that point. Now, he wished to test this woman.  
  
"Of course!" she insisted. "And, you would help me, I suppose?"  
  
"As long as you keep your end of the bargain," the Burgundian stated. "Which is to take out those accursed mortals once you're back in your proper state. Once we're finished, you are to keep the secret of our community safe."  
  
"And their vampire allies?" Alti pushed.  
  
An Asiatic member at the table indicated, "If you deal with the Duboises and their allies, we will deal with Brabant, Lucius, deCharme, and Hunter."  
  
"Of course, if you can defeat Dubois, I'd like to see it," Dijon scoffed. "He has cost me several of my best Enforcers. Beat him if you wish. Take his power if you can get it. However, I get to kill him!" His eyes glowed with a blazing anger.  
  
The witch nodded. Yes, these allies would prove far more useful than the last bunch she had teamed with. "Very well. Meet my ally." She signalled to the cloaked figure.  
  
Taking off her robes, the Xena clone revealed herself to the group and set off a level of consternation around the room.  
  
Dijon tensed and spat, "You...would bring HER here? I will kill you myself!"  
  
"If you can," the witch laughed. "Relax, she's a clone of the original Xena. A creation of mine."  
  
"A clone?" the redhead asked.  
  
"Yes, I grew her myself," Alti bragged. "However, I learned that the police destroyed my equipment...."  
  
The leader, for his part, admired the woman's handiwork. Yes, having Xena, even a copy, was a sizeable advantage. And if they could bring Alti back to her full power, they might just succeed. "This definitely has possibilities."  
  
"I don't like it," the Burgundian snorted. "But, I'll go along with it!"  
  
"In the meantime," the leader chuckled. "How would you like to guest lecture on the next day?" He held up a folder.  
  
Alti took the file and read through it. There was enough documentation in it to choke a horse. And it seemed that there was an opportunity to speak on shamanism in the ancient Steppe. How ironic indeed. "And you can arrange this?" she asked.  
  
"We already have," the Asiatic female replied. "We will strike in three days. Is that satisfactory?"  
  
"Very satisfactory," Alti cackled and looked at Dijon with a sarcastic air. "Very satisfactory indeed."  
  
Send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com 


	2. Aftershocks Part 2

Aftershocks  
By David J. Duncan  
June 2001  
  
For notes & such, please see Part 1  
  
Chapter 6  
  
[Tucson, Two nights later]  
  
Two nights later, the U of A's Museum of Fine Arts lay dark and still. In the main display case, the primary pieces of the new Luxor exhibit were ready to be shown to the public on the opening day. Having set up the case, the workers had left for the evening as had the visitors and the student intern, Jolene Martin.  
  
However, sitting alone in her office downstairs, Alyce Harris reviewed her report on the display for the third time. While the syntax, spelling, and grammar were fine, she had a hard time believing the dating of the pieces especially for the necklace and the chest. After Nick and Dave Dubois had entrusted them to her care, the curator had examined the hieroglyphs and had dated them to the first century AD. "Yet the necklace is over a century older....Curious," she wondered. The circumstances surrounding its discovery were equally unnerving. "The necklace was discovered by a Dr. Evelyn O' Connell in 1937. Her assistant was Dr. Lorenzo Alvaro. Yes, David's grandfather and Francesca's uncle. And the accounts talk of four strangers: a warrior, her blonde companion, a priestess, and a man with a monstrous temper," she recalled, a knowing grin cutting across her face. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that Xena, Gabrielle, Cybelle, and David were involved...." she started.  
  
Suddenly, she sensed other presences within the facility. Using her enhanced vampiric senses, Alyce scanned the building. Yes, there were other vampires within the museum...at least seven, but their aura seemed to be more powerful than anything she had encountered previously...except at the library during the night of the Enforcers' attack. "But could it be? Why would they be here?" she asked herself. The Enforcers were the keepers of the vampire community's secret. Could something here in the museum have placed her and her kind in jeopardy?  
  
Knowing that she couldn't take them alone, the curator slunk back to her office, locked the door, and dialed away on her phone. "C'mon, Nick....Be there please!" she thought.  
  
******************************  
  
Meanwhile, Nick drove the Caddy down I-10 heading for the airport. It was a beautiful night with the moon shining a pale yellow light down on everything, and a breeze wafting softly across the landscape. Still, his mind was on the issue at hand: Xena and what to do to clear her and Gabrielle.   
  
Tracy glanced over at him impatiently. For the last hour, she had let him just wander aimlessly. "Why not? It's been a slow night," she had thought. Besides, she also knew what or rather, who, occupied his thoughts. "So, have you found her yet? Ramirez was curious," she probed.  
  
The vampire detective cut his partner a quick glance. "Found who?" he responded cryptically.  
  
She laughed sarcastically and smiled, "Like you don't know who I'm talking about. Yeah right. Okay, yes, I'm wondering if you tracked down Angie and Francesca yet. They did destroy a major portion of New York, you know."  
  
"We don't have all of the facts, Trace," he indicated. "Besides, they were nowhere near there when the incident occurred."  
  
She shook her head, "But, we saw them do it on television, Nick. The camera doesn't lie, and it caught both of them in the act."  
  
"However, the camera doesn't catch everything either," he countered. "And, in this case, it missed some big facts."  
  
"Like what? I suppose now you're going to say that an alien cloned them or something? Schanke made a similar case to the captain today and was nearly laughed out of the precinct. C'mon, Nick. You're both really grasping for straws."  
  
"I can see her point," Nick thought to himself. "You would have to be there to believe it." Then, he replied, "It would seem that way, but you have to trust Schank and me. We were there. Ask Natalie."  
  
"She's been dodging the precinct as well," Tracy noted. "So, when we meet up with Steve Petersen, what are you going to say to him? Hmm??? This oughta be good...."  
  
Before he could respond, the carphone rang shrilly. "Saved by the bell," he mused and answered it, "Miles."  
  
"Nick? It's Alyce. Listen, I'm at the museum, and I need your help. There are several really strong vampire presences that I'm sensing here. Almost like....Enforcers. But, what would they be doing here?" the curator explained frantically.  
  
His mind swum with this new information. Why indeed would they be there? Unless.... "This could be related to the last attack on the library," he mentioned. "Hang on, I'll be right there!" Signalling with his right blinker, he changed lanes on the fly and found the nearest exit ramp.  
  
"What? What is going on?" Tracy demanded. "Ramirez told us to get Petersen at the airport."  
  
"There's more trouble at the university," Nick explained, pulling the car to a halt in a darkened area. "Go and get Steve at the airport. I'll meet you two back at the precinct."  
  
"Not again!" she whined.   
  
Looking up into the ebony sky, he took off without another word, leaving her to stew in her juices. "Oh well, let's go get Steve. At least, he'll talk sensibly to me," she groused and drove back toward the interstate.  
  
********************************************************  
  
About that same time, Dave locked his office door and started out on his walk across campus for the parking garage across Speedway. He enjoyed the classes and the students that he was teaching this semester. As such, it was no effort at all to lecture and interact with the latter and he really hated to have to end the class at the appointed time. "Oh well, it's just more for next time," he chuckled.  
  
Then, his mind shifted back to the matter at hand. Steve, Xena, and Gabrielle. Knowing that the situation would arise as soon as he got off the plane, the agent had gone against orders and had called him. The conversation had not gone well. Still, he had managed to convince his friend to hear him out once the latter arrived.   
  
By now, he was passing the art museum. Now, the concerns about the necklace and chest were bugging him. "Let it go," he advised himself. Still, his nerves grated at him. Looking up as he passed the side of the building, he saw that the lights were on in the main foyer. "What the?" he thought. "Alyce's assistant was finished with the display when I left for class at 8. What's going on?"  
  
Then, from deep within his head, the Child mentally nudged him and growled, "Hey, Chowderhead....Scan the upstairs and tell me what'cha notice."  
  
"Strange...." he thought. Normally, his darker half waited until they were in the midst of a battle to come out. Still, he followed the suggestion and focused on the area. Sure enough, there were seven very strong cold spots in the facility and two of them were moving in the direction of Alyce's office. "Aw, crap," he hissed and ran through the underpass towards the parking garage.  
  
"What the...?" the Child complained. "C'mon, we've got some serious ass to kick!"  
  
"We will. You have to learn patience," Dave advised. "Besides, a little discretion never hurts!" By now, they were at the Subaru. Opening the rear door, he threw the satchel into the back seat and flipped open the third row of seats. There, his bow and quiver waited for him. Ducking behind the car, Dave changed into a more casual set of clothes knowing that if he ruined another good outfit, Angie would have his head.  
  
"Are we done yet?" the Child groused. "Y'know, we could still go to the Circle K and be back before....."  
  
"Zip it!" Dave directed, tossing his class clothes in the trunk and slamming the door shut. After hurriedly hefting his weapons, he rushed back through the tunnel, reaching the museum in five minutes flat. Trying the doors, he noticed they were locked. "I really don't have time for this!" he snarled and focused on the lock. With a mental "tug", he ripped the door open and advanced into the darkened facility. Once inside, his senses echoed along the limestone walls. Yes, the presences were in the foyer. "After what we went through the last time, I'm not screwing around with these twerps!" he affirmed, recalling the last confrontation with Alti only two days earlier.   
  
Gliding softly up the stairs, the professor sensed that two of the spots were breaking away from the others and moving in his direction. "Party time!" he snickered, readying a plain stake shaft in his bow. Just before he reached the top of the stairs, two pairs of red-spots shone through the darkness.  
  
"Dubois...." a menacing voice snarled.  
  
"I'm only going to say this once, Dead Breath. Move it or lose it," Dave affirmed, pointing the bow at the voice. "If you know who I am, you know I don't need to see you to hit you." He allowed a sinster chuckle to flavor the end of his statement.  
  
The two vampires only hesitated for a split second before they rushed the newcomer. Having no room to dodge them, Dave fell down the staircase and just missed hitting his head on the marble floor by the entrance.  
  
"Now, that wasn't very nice...." the professor hissed, firing two shafts. One missed wide, but the other found its mark. A scream followed by a loud clump and the acrid smell of smoke and ash signalled the Enforcer's passing.   
  
The other immortal studied the mortal in front of him. The stories were true. No wonder Dijon paid so much attention to this one. Still, he had a mission. "You will die!" he hissed, charging his target.  
  
Dave grinned and sidestepped the bull charge. "You can do better than that!" he taunted, flipping a stake-shaft in the air. Catching it with his mental abilities, he flung it faster than the eye could see at his attacker, impaling the latter.  
  
"Now, let's deal with your friends," he explained to the smoldering corpse. Making sure that the Enforcers were both indeed dealt with, he rushed back upstairs towards the main battle to come.  
  
  
Chapter 7  
  
While the fighting went on downstairs, Dijon surveyed the antiquities around him. Despite his well-earned, bloody nickname as the "Butcher of Burgundy," the former soldier still had an eye for art in all of its forms. Indeed, when time allowed, he liked to enjoy it. However, on this night, he was in the museum on business. He hoped that they could find the box and the necklace easily and get out of here.  
  
"Excuse us?" two of his group inquired, reentering the room.  
  
The head Enforcer nodded, recognizing Rodriguez, the seventeenth century Iberian, and Sebastian, the Caribbean. Behind them, they dragged Alyce kicking and screaming into the room. Walking over to her, he asked, "Why do you make such a fuss? We aren't going to hurt you...at least not yet."  
  
"Wh...What do you want?" the curator stammered.  
  
"The box and the key," the Burgundian informed her. "Where are they?"  
  
"They should be in the display," she told him despite her misgivings. She knew how hard her friends had worked to get those artifacts.  
  
The Asian vampire found the chest and the necklace in the display. Breaking the glass, he lifted them from their resting place. "Here they are. The shamaness's remains."  
  
"Well, this does put me in a peculiar situation. Now that we have what we require, you are no longer needed. You have violated the Code and, as such, I have to punish you."   
  
"What? No!" she protested as the two Enforcers seized her. A third one secured the foyer's doors.   
  
"You can scream all you like. No one will hear you," Dijon shrugged and produced a stake. Then, he winced, sensing the deaths of the other Enforcers in the lobby below, "Arrgh! Dubois, damn him! No matter, I will kill you before he can...."  
  
At that moment, the window and the skylight both exploded in a shower of glass. From above, Nick descended into the room. Another vampire, Iberian in appearance, with long black hair and a beard, crashed through the window and into the area as well.  
  
Dijon surveyed the newcomers. "Ah, Brabant! Be patient, you're next! As for you, Vachon, wait your turn! Before the hour is done, I will attend to you as well."  
  
Vachon slid over to Nick's side and muttered, "Hey, Knight. Long time, no see. What did you do to upset these guys?"  
  
The vampire detective shrugged, "I think it was my relationship with the mortals that did it. Ready to fight?"  
  
The former conquistador gulped nervously, "Uh, Nick. In case you haven't noticed, Amigo, these are Enforcers. We can't exactly defeat them, especially when we're outnumbered two to one."  
  
Nick nodded. While they didn't have much of a chance, the threesome would still have to fight for it. Turning to Dijon, he shouted, "At least let her stand with us!"  
  
The Burgundian considered his fellow medieval man's request and laughed, "You favor her, don't you? Does LaCroix know this? And what about the mortal-coroner?"  
  
"That...is none of your concern," Nick affirmed. He was having a difficult enough time with his own feelings toward both Alyce and Natalie without the Enforcer's taunts dropping salt into that irritated spot.   
  
"Oh, very well. Have the fledgling. You'll all be ash soon enough in any event!" Dijon relented, flinging Alyce towards the newcomers.  
  
The curator stared at them and asked, "What are we going to do, Nick? And who is this?"  
  
"Alyce, meet Javier Vachon, former Conquistador. Vachon, this is Alyce Harris."  
  
"A pleasure," the Spaniard assured her. "Maybe we'll get to know each other better."  
  
"If we survive this encounter," she nervously agreed.  
  
"Which you won't," Sebastian snickered, advancing on the trapped trio.  
  
At that moment, Dijon spun towards the door of the foyer and growled, "He's here!"  
  
Just then, the heavy oaken doors blew in off of their hinges, spilling into the room along with a huge cloud of dust and smoke.  
  
Vachon sensed the newcomer's aura and asked Nick, "Ay Caramba! Quien es él?"  
  
"A friend of mine," the detective explained.   
  
"But, he's a mortal!" the other vampire protested. "Going up against Enforcers?"  
  
"He's done this before," Alyce sighed, hugging Nick tightly.  
  
Walking through the dust, Dave stood his ground and allowed his eyes to burn into those of his Burgundian adversary. "Well, Dijon....I thought I recognized your stench!" he baited.  
  
"Dubois, you just don't know when to quit, do you?" the head Enforcer snarled.  
  
"What? And miss the fun? Oh please!" the professor replied flippantly. "Now, c'mon, let's dance. I still have a beef with you."   
  
The Enforcer signaled almost imperceptibly with his right hand and stood still.   
  
Dave grinned savagely and, using his powers, picked up shards of the door, and eliminated the two hench-vampires in the shadows. "You're slipping, Scum. Ah, the smell of Enforcer ash is so invigorating at this time of the year, wouldn't you say?" he taunted, producing a tuna fish sized canister from his pocket and lighting it. Flinging it into the remaining enemies, the professor made them wheeze and gag on the smell of garlic and other herbs.  
  
"We have what we came for! Let's go!" Dijon snarled. "Dubois, another time!" He was determined not to let the bothersome mortal recover the artifacts. Besides, the witch would have fun with him later.  
  
"You're not going anywhere without giving me those items first!" Dave hissed.  
  
"Oh, we'll be back, trust me," the medieval adversary promised and vanished into the evening sky.  
  
The other three Enforcers followed closely behind him, leaving the damage in their wake.  
  
"Damn it!" Dave cursed, watching the desert sky. He knew Dijon wouldn't have stolen the artifacts for no reason. Somehow, he knew that Alti had made contact with the vampire community and that they would soon have to deal with her on top of their other problems.   
  
"Dave, are you okay?" Nick asked.   
  
"I would ask all of you the same question especially Alyce," the professor stated.  
  
"I'm fine," she sighed. "Just a few bruises on my arms....Give me a minute to catch my breath." She looked at the smoldering piles of ash, the broken doors, and the shattered display. "Still, how am I going to explain this to the head curator tomorrow?" she moaned, throwing her hands up in frustration.  
  
"We'll think of something," the detective assured her and turned to Vachon, "Thanks for showing up when you did."  
  
"Thank him and the others," the Spaniard indicated, pointing to their savior. "I hitched a ride through their cloud-transport thing."  
  
The medievalist studied the new vampire carefully. So, he had been the presence which had whizzed past them and into the portal back in the junkyard. "I was wondering what or who you were," he stated. "As it turned out, I'm glad to have you here. I'm Dave Dubois and you're Vachon...?"  
  
"Si. Javier Vachon at your service, Señor," he indicated. "That was one impressive display you put on against the Enforcers."  
  
"And he wasn't even angry. Hope you never get him to that point," the vampire detective directed.  
  
"I think I remember you from the Raven. It was right before Divia struck the first time. Xena and LaCroix fought. And you were the hombre loco fighting Janette DuCharme, weren't you?" Vachon recalled.  
  
"Yeah, that was me all right," the other grinned and observed his new acquaintance. "So, you're Vachon? You know, you would seem like Tracy's type."  
  
The Spaniard froze. "Tracy? You mean Tracy Vetter? She's not dead?"  
  
Nick shook his head, "Like me, she came back to life. Yes, she's here and working for TPD as Tracy Brown. She'll definitely be glad to see you. "  
  
"I would like to see her," the other male vampire sighed. "Okay, Knight, you got a deal."  
  
"Sure. And, by the way, Nick Knight was killed in an arson fire up in Toronto if you get my drift. I'm Nick Miles now," the former crusader explained.  
  
"Absolutely. By the way, I guess once a knight always a Knight," Vachon surmised.  
  
"You referring to the derivation of Miles for knight. Sure, that's why I chose it. And Natalie is here in Tucson as well," Nick replied pleasantly. "Well, judging by the alarm, I'd say that my co-workers are going to be here soon. So, Dave, I think you better make tracks."  
  
"Right. But, we still need to put our heads together on this one, Nick. Alyce, Vachon, great to see you," Dave agreed, departing the room.  
  
"If you don't mind, Miles, I'd like to hang around. I'll give my version of the testimony if you know what I mean."  
  
Nick glanced at Alyce who gave him a nervous shrug. After everything else, what difference would that make? In fact, given what else was to come, the attack would seem like small potatoes indeed.  
  
  
Chapter 8  
  
As the battle unfolded at the museum, Tracy arrived at the airport and walked into the concourse area. Spying a TV monitor, she scanned the listings and found that Steve's flight, America West 2334, was pulling into Gate 12 at that moment. After a brisk walk through the facility, the detective reached the gate just as the passengers exited the plane.  
  
Steve saw her almost immediately, waved to get her attention, and approached her quickly. "Tracy, good to see you again, although I wish it were under better circumstances," he greeted pleasantly.  
  
"Likewise," she agreed, shaking his hand. "And we have a doozie of a situation."  
  
"I know," he sighed, still thinking about the inevitable confrontation with Dave. "By the way, where's your partner?"  
  
"If you mean Nick, he took off on our way over here. Apparently, he sensed that something was about to happen at the University's art museum and took off...if you get my drift. I haven't heard from him since," she shrugged.  
  
The agent did indeed know her meaning, having seen Nick's vampiric powers in person on two other occasions. "Well, I'm sure we'll run into him at the precinct. In the meantime, I carried everything on. So, I guess we can go ahead," he noted.  
  
"Super!" she grinned. At least, this guy was always on the ball.  
  
***********  
  
Schanke had heard the alert from the museum first while on his way back from a murder scene. Speeding around two corners, he parked the car, and bolted into to the facility. Immediately, he felt a chill in the air. "What the...?" he asked and looked around. Two piles of ash streaked the floor in front of him and an acrid smell assailed his senses. "Whew!" he complained, waving his hand in an effort to fan away the odor. Then, he made his way up the marble staircase with his gun drawn just in case of other surprises. At the top of the stairs, he spied the doors-or what remained of them-hanging on their hinges, providing an open path into the main foyer. "Who or what could do that?" he wondered aloud although he already knew the answer. Either Nick, Dave, or Xena could force the portals if the situation warranted the action.   
  
Creeping into the room very carefully, the paunchy detective saw that the main battle had continued here. Once again, the pungent odor of ash although this time-mixed with the mitigating aroma of garlic-permeated the air and more ashen piles lay on the floor. The display in the corner was a wreck as well as the side window and the skylight. The four people in the corner of the room were discussing something urgently and so, didn't notice him at first.  
  
Finally, Nick glanced over and yelled, "Schanke! Over here!"  
  
The other detective joined the group and asked, "Hey, Nick, what happened?"  
  
"The Enforcers attacked us again," the vampire detective informed him.  
  
"And they stole the Necklace of Nefertiri and the chest containing Alti's remains," Alyce added.  
  
Schanke glanced at Dave, who was obviously frustrated over this course of events. "I'm sorry. I can guess what you and Angie had to go through to get it."  
  
"It happens," the professor shrugged. "No, I'm ticked that Dijon got away again not to mention with that stuff."  
  
"And what about the ash piles?"   
  
Nick motioned towards Dave, stating, "His handiwork."  
  
The other detective nodded knowingly. While he had seen the professor's abilities before, the other man never ceased to amaze him. "So, what now?"  
  
"Now, we have to be on our guard," Dave indicated, facing the window. "Somehow Alti's going to surface again."  
  
Vachon jumped in and probed, "Who is this Alti that you all are talking about?"  
  
"A very powerful shamaness from antiquity," Alyce explained. "She has powers over the living and the dead, which are to use dreams. She's also quite the warrior."  
  
"And, if those were her remains in the box," the Spaniard continued, "Then, she's dead. So, what's the problem?"  
  
"The problem, Vachon," Dave sighed. "is that she has been reincarnated. Tell me, was there a woman at that junkyard...sort of 6' 2", well-built, sandy brown hair?"  
  
"Yes...Why?" the Iberian vampire inquired.  
  
"That's Alti," Nick agreed. "And you think that she's made contact with Dijon?"  
  
"I'd count on it," Dave nodded. "Somehow, I know that she's close by. Trust me, we'll see her soon...."  
  
Schanke shook his head. Although he had not been physically with them for their previous run-in with the witch, he had observed their clash from afar. Tucson wouldn't survive another conflict like that one.... Turning to Vachon, he introduced himself, "I'm Don Schanke, Nick's partner, and you are?"  
  
"Javier Vachon," Vachon smiled and shook the other's hand quickly. "So, Miles, do we take off before the rest of your friends show up?"  
  
Nick looked at Alyce who indicated, "You all go. We'll clean up the mess in the display. Meantime, I'll sweep up the ash in here and in the lobby."  
  
"Fine," Dave indicated. "Meantime, if you'll excuse me, I have my daughters to check on." With that, he disappeared through the door, heading towards the entrance.  
  
"So, how are we going to write this one up, Nick?" Schanke asked.  
  
"Breaking and entering, Schank," his partner indicated. "There was a robbery here and we tried to prevent it."  
  
"Whatever," the balding detective agreed, scribbling down notes and walking back out to the car. "See ya down there."  
  
Nick turned back to Vachon who was more than a little disoriented, "Thanks again for your help. I got to get going."  
  
"No problem," the Spaniard concluded and took off in a blur into the desert sky.  
  
"Are you going to be all right?" the detective asked Alyce.  
  
"Now, I am," she sighed. "Thank you for interceding with them."  
  
"It was no problem," he assured her, embracing her tightly. "Call if you need me."  
  
"I will," she nodded and watched him take off through the broken skylight.   
  
For a long moment, the curator stared into the night, wondering what the attack would lead to for them all. Then, a pleasant thought lofted through her head and she smiled in spite of herself. "At least, I know Nick cares about me." With that, she made herself get the broom and begin the clean-up activities.  
  
*********  
  
Dijon surveyed the area surrounding his current location. He admired the plainness of the desert west of the city along the Ajo trail. Still, there was more to do, and the fact that Dubois and his friends knew of their activities made it all the more important that the ritual be done tonight. "Are you ready?" he asked to the shadows.  
  
"Yes," Alti replied, stepping into the light. She eagerly grasped the chest and tried to force it open. A powerful charge backed her away. "They've done something to it!" she hissed.  
  
"More than likely," the Xena clone indicated. "Maybe it's got something to do with that fancy necklace of yours, Chief."  
  
The Burgundian considered the jeweled piece carefully. Perhaps, the warrior had a point. "Would you like the honors?"  
  
"I'll try it," she shrugged and grasped the jewel. After finding the groove on the lid, she fitted the gem into it and turned it. A heavy click could be heard.  
  
"Give me that!" the shamaness impatiently demanded, taking the chest from them and opening it. Instantly, a stiff breeze blew up out of nowhere, sweeping the ashes into the air all around her. Breathing in the substance, she felt nothing at first. Then, a buzz ran up and down her spine, the glimmer showed in her eye, and the wicked grin sprouted on her face.  
  
"Yes, I'm back," she hissed. "With all of my powers!"  
  
"Are we ready for Phase Two then?" Dijon asked her.  
  
"Indeed. Your friend mentioned a speaking engagement of some sort at the learning place, right?" she guessed.  
  
"Tomorrow evening. In the meantime, rest, meditate, and marshal your energies," he urged. "I have arranged for a place at one of the mortals' hotels for you to do so."  
  
"Excellent!" she cackled. "In the meantime, I will look forward to dealing with my enemies accordingly!"  
  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Dave pulled into the parking spot in front of his apartment and shut off the motor. What was going on with the Enforcers and Alti? The question had nagged at him all the way home from the university. And how did this figure into what else was going on with Xena and Gabrielle? "It's going to be a long week," he mused to himself, opening the door and entering his apartment.  
  
Eve jumped as she saw him enter, "David! I was wondering where you were. The girls were restless tonight."  
  
He smiled. The twins and Deirdre certainly were tuned into his and Angie's feelings, and tonight was no exception. "I'll go and look in on them. Thanks."  
  
She nodded in agreement and sipped from her cup of tea.   
  
He peeked inside of the twins' door. Although the room was dark, he could sense the two minds analyzing the blackness around them. "What's wrong, Girls?" he asked.  
  
Lauren sat up in bed, "Well, Daddy...We felt that you were in trouble."  
  
"Yeah, and we want to help," Karen added.  
  
Dave sat down on the edge of their bed and beamed at them. Even at nine years of age, they had already developed a sense of responsibility which would serve them well. "C'mere," he chuckled and hugged them tightly. "When the time comes and you're both ready, then we'll see."  
  
"You mean that?" they chorused.  
  
"Absolutely," he agreed. "Now, it's time to get some sleep. I need to check on your sister. Pleasant dreams."  
  
"Night, Daddy," they wished him.  
  
He closed the door and grinned. There was nothing like a talk with his daughters to brighten his mood. Walking over to the other bedroom, he looked in on Deirdre. Like her sisters, the youngest child stared into the darkness, searching for answers.  
  
"Hey, what's up?" he asked.  
  
"I miss Momma," she sulked.   
  
"She'll be back soon," he assured her. "As soon as Gabrielle's well. Meantime, she and your Aunt Cybelle are taking care of her."  
  
"Can you sing to me?" she requested. "Momma always sang to me."  
  
He chuckled warmly and began to hum a Celtic tune which Cybelle had taught him some time ago. The words sang of fertile meadows, warm springtime breezes, and cheery people. Deirdre's eyelids fluttered and then slowly closed as she drifted off to sleep.   
  
"Night, Precious," he whispered and lightly kissed her forehead before softly taking his leave.  
  
Walking into the kitchen, he saw that Eve had some water heated in the coffee maker. "Can I?" he requested.  
  
"Absolutely," she agreed. "Help yourself."  
  
"Thank you," he stated and fixed himself a cup of cherry tea. Then, he sat down in the chair opposite to the Messenger and asked, "What's going on? You don't seem yourself."  
  
"I guess the girls got to me," she explained. "With Angie, Gabrielle, and Mother all in Althanor, I feel alone."  
  
"You're not," he assured her, sipping from his cup. "Besides, Angie and your mother will be back soon. With this mess brewing, we need to get to the bottom of it."  
  
"What happened tonight?" she probed concernedly.  
  
"It was the Enforcers again. They broke into the museum and stole the chest and necklace. I exterminated four of them, but Dijon got away," he spat. "In fact..." He winced and grabbed the armrest.   
  
Eve touched his arm and asked, "What is it?" Then, she felt a chill as well. "It's her, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes," he agreed. "She's back. Somehow, they opened the chest, and she's recovered her powers."  
  
"But how is that possible?" she demanded, somehow keeping her voice down. "And how do we fight her if she has done so?"  
  
"I wish I could tell you," he shrugged. "Meantime, we'll just have to wait and see." Recovering his composure, he changed the subject by asking, "So, has there been a speaker chosen for tomorrow's program?"  
  
"Yes, an anthropologist, Althea Stepperider, is going to speak on the shamanism. Doesn't this sound strange to you, David?" Eve explained.  
  
The professor scratched his head. While he couldn't quite put his finger on the cause, something wasn't right with that scenario. "Yes, it is curious. Well, if it's all right with you and Francesca, we're going to be there. I have a feeling that we may learn a great deal about what's going on in general."  
  
"You think the Enforcers are trying to lure us out?" she probed.  
  
"More than likely, it's the group that the Enforcers are working for. Dijon's a great soldier but he himself is not a great administrator. No, Nick and I have talked about this matter. There's a rumor around the Community that a group of renegades is trying to deal with us," he noted. "More than likely, they're behind this stuff."  
  
"And you think it's a good idea to go to this event tomorrow?" she inquired incredulously.  
  
"As long as we're together or close by, why not? Besides, we need to be aggressive as well," he indicated.  
"Still, I wonder what's going on in Althanor...."  
  
****************  
  
  
[Althanor, The Temple of Healing]  
  
Xena stared out across the water towards the fog. She had always hated the waiting game especially when one of her arch-enemies was up to no good. Somewhere in Arizona, the Enforcers and Alti were plotting against her and her friends. Only time would tell whether they would be able to defeat the adversaries and restore her good name as well as Gabrielle's.  
  
Cybelle approached her and called, "Xena, I have news."  
  
"News? About Gabrielle?" the warrior inquired.  
  
"Yes," the priestess replied pleasantly. "Her head wound is healing rapidly and those herbs that I gave her will put her back on her feet in no time at all."  
  
"Thank Eli," she sighed and rushed to her friend's side.   
  
The Bard rested peacefully on the pallet with a bandage wrapped around her head. A bundle of sweet smelling herbs protruded from the wrapping and filled the room with a pleasant fragrance. When she saw the warrior, she smiled and called, "Xena, you're here."  
  
"Of course, I'm here," the Warrior Princess assured her. "Other than letting Angela tend to your injury, I've been right here by your side. Gabrielle, I...I'm sorry for that...."  
  
The poetess shook her head, "That's okay. Somehow, I...I know it wasn't you. It was Alti. Somehow, she made you do it. I could have sworn though, that I saw myself standing a little while ago."  
  
"You did," Francesca indicated, sipping on a cup of herbal tea in the corner of the room. "I was there as well."  
  
Gabrielle puzzled this development over. "How can you and I both be here if this isn't antiquity?"  
  
The Literature professor focused and turned herself into the "other" Gabrielle. "And we're still joined." Having said that, she changed back into her own form.  
  
The Bard nodded, "Then, somehow she's made copies of us, Xena. In that strange room where we were sleeping."  
  
"Indeed," Cybelle agreed, walking up to them. "That was the other news I wanted to tell you about. The clone's with her. And there's something else...."  
  
"Which is?" Francesca asked.  
  
"The Enforcers struck tonight at the museum. They've taken the necklace and chest. Worse, your clone, Xena, opened it and Alti regained her powers," the priestess reported.  
  
Francesca gaped at her friends. During their last encounter with the shamaness, she had experienced the witch's touch for herself and had no wish to do so again. "And Dave?"  
  
"Oh, he was there all right," Cybelle replied wryly. "Took out four more Enforcers. He and Dijon faced each other as well, but the latter got away." Then, she cleared her throat, "Okay, Gabrielle, you need to rest now. We need to be back in Tucson for tomorrow night and I want you feeling well. Pleasant dreams."  
  
"Thank you, Cybelle," Gabrielle smiled and fell fast asleep under the herbs' influence.  
  
The other three women walked back outside into the clear night air. Everything seemed so still and peaceful. Still, it was the calm before the storm. The next day, they would be neck deep in trouble and they all knew it. Yet, all they could do was hope and wait.  
  
(Additional Note: The battle and wedding reception mentioned below are from earlier (re: unposted) entries of the Dubois Chronicles.)  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Steve leaned over the railing of the Motel 6, watching the sunrise over the eastern horizon. He had remembered Dave's words from fifteen years earlier about how beautiful the sunrises were in this place and that they were addictive. He sipped from the coffee cup in his hand, dreading the conversation he was going to have with his good friend.   
  
"Yeah, I just see it now," he grumbled to himself. "Hey, Dubie, how's it going? By the way, I'm here to arrest your wife and cousin. If you don't cooperate, I'll have to take you in too. That'll go really far." Shaking his head, he drank again from the cup and looked at his watch. 6 AM. "Still got a ways to go," he realized. "I best go report in."  
  
*****  
  
Dave walked back across campus to his office with a brisk pace. While he usually enjoyed teaching, the stress from the previous night's battle with the Enforcers had drained him. A couple of hours of solitude would do him a world of good.  
  
As he entered the Social Sciences Building and walked past the History Department's office, April O' Kelly, the office assistant, poked her head out and alerted him. "Dr. Dubois, you have a visitor waiting in your office."  
  
"Visitor? Who is it?" he asked.  
  
"Some really official-looking Government guy. He says it's urgent," she noted.  
  
"Thanks, April," he smiled and walked down the hall towards his office. Sure enough, the door was cracked. "Like I really need this," he grumbled to himself. Peering in the door, he saw that his visitor was indeed Steve. "Morning, Steve."  
  
"Nice office, Dubie. I see you've moved into your dream job since my last trip here," the FBI agent cracked, allowing himself an opportunity to ease into the conversation with his longtime friend.  
  
The professor walked into the office, shut the door behind him and sat down silently.   
  
Steve sighed and continued, "Dave, let's quit beating around the bush. You know why I'm here."  
  
"Let me guess, your bosses want you to take us all in, right?" Dave probed.   
  
"Just Angie and Francesca. You weren't there," the agent replied.  
  
"And if I was to tell you that it wasn't the real warriors everyone saw on tape?" the professor countered.  
  
"I'd have to say you're full of it," Steve informed him. "The camera doesn't lie, and you'd be desperate to save them. Besides, I made the mistake of listening to you the last time."  
  
"Like you had a choice," Dave stated. "As I recall, you were about to get hurt, and I bailed you out. Besides, you really think I'm going to let you take my wife into custody without due cause?"  
  
"And you think I would make that request lightly? C'mon, Dave! You know me too well for that! But, I have my orders!" Steve bellowed.  
  
"Screw your orders!" the professor hissed, slamming his fist on the oak desk between them. "You know what I'm capable of. You might want to investigate some other avenues before you bark up that tree."   
  
The visitor trembled, "You mean...that you would defy the Bureau?"  
  
The professor broke out laughing.  
  
"What's so damn funny? I'm serious! Dave, this is a grave crisis!" the visitor protested.  
  
The medievalist stared at the agent and snickered, allowing a darkness to drape across his features, "So am I. I once took on a whole alien dimension full of monsters to save Angie and Karen. Then, there were Caesar's legions in Althanor, not to mention Cybelle herself. What are a few lawmen to me? Besides, if we wanted to, we could disappear and you would never find us. Poof!" He gestured with his hands in a palms up fashion then he leaned menacingly close to the other man and hinted, "Believe me, if your bosses are that stupid, then do yourself a favor and request another assignment. If your boys decide to bring out the big guns, then I won't hold back either. Remember, here in Sonora, I'm at my peak. Steve, you're my friend, and I don't want to hurt you, but my wife and children are the most important people in my life right now. Please, don't make me have to choose."  
  
Steve quaked despite himself. He knew and had seen his friend's temper at work especially when the latter felt his turf endangered. No, he's best let the Office know to keep the heavy forces at bay at least for now. Besides, with Xena with him not to mention Cybelle, it would be a bloody affair. But, on the first thing, this in itself was yet another unnerving thought. "W...Whole dimension of monsters?" he asked.  
  
"Remember the wedding reception in Grundalifar?" Dave probed.  
  
"Sure. Great party that the fairie people threw for us there," he replied. Then, it occurred to him, "That was the battle with the dark?"  
  
"Yes....And it was a bloody crusade it was. And the sky turned black and the rivers ran red due to Lousain's magic. Ask Garth Singleton. He was there," the professor recounted. "Look, Steve. I'm not asking you to defy orders. Just delay acting on them. There's more going on than meets the eye. You remember Alti?"  
  
"The witch who nearly killed you? How could I forget? But, she's long dead. How could she?" the agent asked.  
  
"She's reincarnated as a scientist, but it's her, all right. I sensed her presence in the New York junkyard where we found the Xena and Gabrielle clones," his friend explained.  
  
Steve tensed and his jaw dropped, "Did you say clones? That would...." Then, he remembered a report from the Manhattan office about a secret laboratory. "Sonuva....the lab that we raided. It had two human sized glass tubes and the equipment for...." he realized.  
  
"Cloning?" Dave smirked. "Well, I know there are two Gabrielles. I've seen them together, and so have Nick, Schanke, Eve, Francesca, and Natalie."  
  
"And the other Xena, if there is one?" the agent pushed.  
  
"More than likely with Alti," Dave assured him, and they'll make their move tonight at the guest lecture. There's an anthropologist, Althea Stepperider, coming to speak on Caucasian forms of shamanism. Perfect place for our shamaness to make a statement and try out her newly-restored power."  
  
"But, how could she?" Steve demanded.   
  
"Did you hear about the museum robbery yet?" Dave asked. When the latter glared incredulously at him, he continued, "Did you hear anything about the Necklace of Nefirtiri and its accompanying chest?"  
  
"Sure. It's a big exhibit starting today. Why? Okay, Dubie, spill it. What happened?" the agent demanded.  
  
"Last night, a bunch of Enforcers broke in and stole it. You didn't hear this from me, but so were Nick, Alyce, and some other vampire. This was a big deal because Dijon himself was involved. I took out four of the seven thieves myself. Dijon got away with the chest and the necklace," Dave explained.  
  
His friend's eyes bulged out again and he interjected, "Dijon! I had heard that he was pursuing his options lately through my contacts. And he was there last night you say?"  
  
"Unfortunately, he was there with his rat squad. I faced him myself. Too damn bad I missed him. No, Steve, the Burgundian blowhard is wrapped up in this garbage, too. Just like the mess at the library about three months ago," the professor continued.  
  
Steve nodded. So, Dijon was connected to the attack on the library. That comment confirmed what he had heard about the hardliners' actions within the vampire community. Although he guessed that Dave knew something, best to keep looking at the problem and bring it to his friend's attention when all of the facts were there. Changing the subject back to the stolen artifacts, he pushed, "So, what's in the chest? Nobody knows exactly."  
  
"Wrong. I know because I filled the chest myself with Alti's ashes. The ashes of her previous incarnated body at least were there, at least until last night, when she exposed herself to them," the professor noted.  
  
"And she's going to strike here?" Steve inquired. "Should I call a SWAT team?"  
  
"Against Alti and Xena's double? I wouldn't risk the minds or the health of the officers. No, stay close. I'm going to station you back stage in case she decides to pull something," Dave advised.  
  
"And what do I tell my boss?" Steve insisted.  
  
"Tell him you're following a hot lead," Dave shrugged. "Well, I've going to go eat. Casablanca's? My treat."  
  
Now, Steve started to relax. "Sure. Let's go. And you can fill me in on what might happen tonight."  
  
Dave only offered a grim nod as they stepped into the hallway and he locked the office door behind him. Then, guiding his friend down the hall, the two men exited the building through the side entrance, heading for Park Avenue and a Middle Eastern culinary adventure.  


Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com 


	3. Aftershocks Part 3

Aftershocks  
David J. Duncan  
July 2001  
  
For notes & such, please see Part 1  
  
  
Chapter 11  
  
That night, Tracy pulled into the parking lot behind the precinct. Looking around, she saw no sign of the Caddy, nor Natalie's or Schanke's respective cars. But then again, they had all been avoiding her lately, in any event. She sighed deeply. Perhaps, she was being way too cynical over the Xena thing. Perhaps, her friends knew something about the case that she didn't? And would it be so bad to give them some leeway so that they could explain their views?  
  
"Something weird's going on," she surmised, picking up her pace through the dimly lit lot.  
  
"You can say that again," a familiar voice replied.  
  
The detective froze. That voice...It sounded like.... "Vachon?" she asked, turning to see the Iberian vampire standing behind her.  
  
"Yeah, Trace. It's me. Took me long enough to track you down," he answered.  
  
"B...But, you're dead. You forced me to stake you," she argued.  
  
"We missed. You got me just above the heart. The pain was enough to cause me to black out for awhile, but eventually, I woke up and dug my way free," he recounted. "After that, I have searched Toronto for you. I heard that you and Miles were dead, but I refused to believe it."  
  
"I did die," she admitted, a tear forming in her right eye. "But, I was sent back to finish my tasks here on Earth." She sobbed a bit.  
  
"What's wrong?" he wondered, taking a tissue to dab her tears.  
  
At first, she wanted to pull away, but surprisingly, she let him wipe away the moisture. Then, she continued, "I...I never had the chance to tell you how I feel." The emotions from the night of his "death" surfaced suddenly and swept across her consciousness.   
  
"And that would be?" he asked.  
  
Tracy spontaneously grabbed his face and planted a long, wet kiss on his mouth. For a long minute, they lingered in this contact before she needed to surface for air. "Like that," she giggled nervously, suddenly feeling a schoolgirl on her first date.  
  
The vampire, for his part, stepped back to consider the situation for a moment. In the time they had known each other in Toronto, there had always been a cat and mouse game between them. He never knew whether she wanted to be intimate or just friends. "I guess I know now," he thought mischieviously.  
  
"So, when did you get back into town?" she wondered.  
  
"Two nights ago," he indicated. "Thank the Duboises for that. They gave me a lift although they didn't know it. That cloud trick is something else."  
  
She nodded, "Yeah, it can be a bit disorienting. I had to do it once back in New Mexico and it takes some getting used to."  
  
"That was a weird day. First, watching the scene in that junkyard between Xena and Gabrielle. Then, seeing your friends there and catching a ride...Wow," he recounted.  
  
"Right. Everyone says that there is something weird going on," she interjected. "Something about two Xenas and two Gabrielles."  
  
"I don't know about that," he continued. "But that hag, Alti, was there and Xena took off with her, leaving her blonde friend in a bloody heap. Then, there was that mess at the museum last night...."  
  
That comment made her ears perk up. "What mess? I know Nick and Schanke were there, but they're keeping mum about it. What do you know?"  
  
Vachon thought about what to tell her about the situation. Then, he reported, "The Enforcers attacked the museum last night and stole some chest and a necklace. Nick, Alyce Harriss, and I were cornered. And then, the door blows in and your friend, Dubois, stepped in through the smoke, took down two Enforcers on either side of himself and stared down the leader, Bertrand du Dijon. I couldn't believe a mortal would have the nerve to do that."  
  
She snickered, "Oh, trust me, Dave has that much gall, and you don't want to get him mad. He beat...I mean pummeled...Divia up in New York state."  
  
"He beat her?" Vachon wondered, remembering how powerful LaCroix's daughter was. "Anyway, it sounded as if he and Dijon have a history."  
  
"According to Nick, they do. Apparently, Dijon and his Enforcers were sent by LaCroix to kill Tony Samuelssohn in 1989. They did that, but midway through the job, our boy arrived and challenged them. In that battle, your Code-Protectors set him off and triggered his Dark Whatsis. Since that night, both he and Dijon have sworn to kill the other at the right time," Tracy told him.  
  
"So, that's what did it," he realized. "Wow, there had been stories about him. Then, I saw the fight at the Raven....Ay caramba!"  
  
"You were there?" she needled. "So, there was a fight?"  
  
"Oh, there was a fight all right. Two of them actually. Xena and LaCroix dueled until sunrise. Then, Dubois and Janette mixed it up in the corner. Nick interceded before things got too rough, but Dubois nearly lost it in there as well," he continued.  
  
Tracy mentally stored all of these items away for future reference. At some point, she would get all of the dirt on the Raven situation. Still, that was a matter for another night. Right now, they had the situation in front of them. "So, is there anything else that you can tell me?" she asked.  
  
He shook his head, "Not right now. But, I'll be in touch. You can count on it." With a smile, he took off into the sky, leaving the detective behind.  
  
She smiled contentedly. At least now, she could face Ramirez's lecture.  
  
*******  
  
Meantime, in the morgue, Natalie sat at her desk and pensively stared at Nick and Schanke who nervously twitched in silence. For five minutes, nobody had been able to speak because they all dreaded the lecture from Ramirez which they knew was coming within the hour.  
  
Finally, the ME started, "So, what happened to the chest? I heard it was taken."  
  
Schanke gaped and stared at Nick, "I didn't say a word!"  
  
"Relax, Schank," the vampire maintained. "The word is out. So, who told you?"  
  
"Steve Petersen stopped by earlier today," she commented. "Apparently, he's in town to arrest our friends. But, he talked to Dave first and was set straight on a few things."  
  
The paunchy detective suddenly felt a shudder. "Yeah, like the 'don't mess with my family' speal. I can see Dave pullin' that one on him."  
  
"So, what else did Steve say?" Nick probed.  
  
"Apparently, he's going to work with us in getting to the bottom of this mess. Since so many of us have seen both the real Gabrielle and the clone simultaneously, he's willing to jump in. Just as long as the clones are stopped," she reported.  
  
"And his superiors?" the blonde detective followed.  
  
"They gave him 36 hours to come up with some hard proof. Not a helluva lot of time if you ask me. However, he is going to go with Dave to the lecture at the U of A tonight," she continued.  
  
"It makes sense," Nick realized. "Alti's going to want a public spectacle to draw on fear, and that audience would be perfect!"  
  
"Especially when she has her powers back," Tracy stated, from outside the open door. She walked into the room and closed the door behind her. "You really should be more careful." Looking at the three guilty faces, she shrugged, "Vachon already told me everything."  
  
Natalie glanced at Nick and inquired, "Vachon's back? Nick, you didn't say...."  
  
"Yes, he's back," Tracy continued. "And he's filled me in on several items not to mention your little party at the museum last night. So, are we going after that hag or what?"  
  
The coroner shook her head and disagreed, "That would not be a good idea. Trust me, Tracy, I know what that woman can do to your head. Discretion is the better part of valor here."  
  
"But, we can't let her get away!" the other woman protested.  
  
"Who said anything about letting her get away with it?" her immortal partner surmised. "Dave's got a plan, and we're working with him on it. We're staking out the session tonight,"  
  
"And we're gonna drop every homicide in this part of town?" Schanke supposed. "C'mon, Nick!"  
  
Just then, the phone rang, allowing Natalie to break away from the conversation, "Lab, Lebeau," she answered.  
  
"Natalie, this is the captain speaking. Listen, I'm going to keep this short. Umm, please let the detectives know that you and Detectives Miles and Schanke are working with the FBI until further notice. I just received a call from Bill Campbell in San Francisco, and he commandeered you to work with Agent Petersen. Comprende?" Ramirez explained.  
  
"Got it," she agreed.  
  
"How is the Mendoza case coming?" he pushed.  
  
She looked at the slashing victim on the table and declared, "She's ready to go, Captain. I'll have the report signed, sealed, and delivered to you within the hour."  
  
"Muy bien!" her superior complemented. "I'll expect that paperwork from you on your way out. By the way, Agent Petersen said that you would know where to meet him?"  
  
"Yes, Sir, we do indeed. Be seeing you in just a few minutes. Thanks!" she concluded and hung up.  
  
"So, what was that about?" Schanke asked.  
  
"Apparently, Steve took care of the red tape. We're working directly with the FBI now. Ramirez just ordered us to the session," she stated, standing up from behind the computer. "I'll meet you in a few minutes after I change."  
  
The others nodded and left the area. Nick allowed a bright smile to flicker at her before his depature.  
  
Natalie straightened the area up and put the corpse back in the cooler. Finally, she changed into her good suit and printed up the report. Looking around her, she mused, "Steve, I hope we're all going to be okay." With that, she shut the lights and left the examination room.  
  
*****************************  
  
[Althanor, On the Shores of the Great Lake]  
  
Cybelle's conference with the high priestess had dragged on for hours. During this time, Gabrielle's clone glanced out across the waters and into the fog. As Xena had done the night before, the Bard wondered how their next confrontation with the shamaness would go. However, another question burned at her: Did she truly belong there? She was, after all, a clone...a fabrication.  
  
"Gabrielle?" Francesca asked. "There you are!"  
  
The Bard-clone turned to see the woman with whom her true essence was bonded. Sensing the dual-presence in front of her, she sighed despondently.  
  
"What's wrong?" the literature professor probed.  
  
"It's me. I guess....I realize that I'm just a fake, unnatural..." the other started.  
  
Francesca's temper flared, and she informed the other, "Look, Gabrielle! Yes, maybe your body was grown in a tube, okay? But, I know you. I feel you, and you are like my twin sister. You are not unnatural or a fake. You are still Gabrielle, warrior, bard, Amazon queen."  
  
Concentrating within the light, she changed into the 'other' Gabby and continued, "We are pieces of each other. Don't forget that."   
  
With that comment, the two women embraced tightly.  
  
"Now, isn't that great?" Xena smiled as she approached them. "Look alive. Cybelle's ready to take us back to Tucson."  
  
"Indeed," the priestess agreed, "I am ready." Summoning the fog, she indicated, "Step through. I will be right behind you."  
  
The three women vanished into the mists. As Cybelle prepared to do the same, she looked over her shoulder. Behind her, her sister priestesses had gathered to wish her well. With a silent wave, they conveyed this feeling to her. With a curt nod, she reciprocated. Then, she stepped into the mists, vanishing from the holy site, and once again, entering the world of man.  
  
As the bank dissipated, the High Priestess raised her eyes to the sky and invoked, "Great Mother, help your daughter and her allies as they fight your most accursed enemy on this night! Guide and protect them please!"  
  
In response, the moon showed through the clouds, illuminating the concern on the sisterhood's faces as they prayed for their friends' success on that evening.  
  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Even as Natalie and the detectives left the precinct building, heading for the university, activity stirred at the Arizona Inn as well. There, Alti meditated silently, preparing herself for a possible confrontation. She remembered her last visit to this place with Ares very well. Trust Dubois to be waiting for her with surprises at hand.  
  
"Are you ready?" Dijon inquired. "You only have an hour."  
  
"Patience, my immortal friend," she advised. "I only need to shift my appearance like so." Focusing, her appearance shimmered, taking on the form of a normal academic. "How do I look?"  
  
"Very good," the Burgundian complemented. "Do you want me nearby?"  
  
"No. If you stay here, you'll be close enough to intervene if needed. If you come with me, Dubois will sense your presence," she disagreed. "Stand ready though."  
  
"Indeed," he agreed.  
  
The shamaness grinned enthusiastically. How ironic! To speak on herself! "I wonder if the irony would be lost on anyone?" she cackled.  
  
"Probably not," the Xena clone indicated. "So, when are we going to move?"  
  
"Soon, My Dear. Very soon," the shamaness assured her creation. "When we get there, I want you to conceal yourself behind the curtain. I'll signal you when it's time."  
  
The duplicate nodded, albeit unenthusiastically. She hated the waiting game and wanted to kick tail right then and there.  
  
****************************************  
  
Dave had cancelled his office hour and had April hold his calls in an effort to prepare for the evening's events. For most of the afternoon, he locked himself in his office and floated in a meditative trance to collect both his and the Child's thoughts. The setting for this activity was as surreal as possible. Prayer candles burned in every corner of the room, incense permeated the air, and a faint Celtic chant could be heard eminating from the CD player. Whatever it took, the professor was determined not to let the witch get to him this time.  
  
After several hours of this activity, he detected another presence in the room. Snapping his eyes open, he recognized Cybelle standing in the corner, observing him. "Hi, Sis. How long have you been there?"  
  
"Only a few seconds," the priestess smiled. "Your senses are getting very refined. Good. Nice use of ritual here. When did you...?"  
  
"I observed your sisters during my trip to Althanor," he replied. "Did you get the herbs?"  
  
She nodded and handed him a brown pouch. "Here they are, straight from the Faerie Ring itself. The High Priestess sends her regards and blessing as well, Dave."  
  
"And I thank her," he expressed. "If we're right, tonight will be a fierce test."  
  
"Indeed," she agreed. "Especially if the other Xena's with her."  
  
"They're both close at hand," he revealed, "as are Dijon and his goons. I sensed them during my meditation." Reaching under his desk, he produced five shafts with hollow arrowheads in addition to a mortar and pestel. Opening the pouch on his desk, he saw several piles of plants. "St. John's Wart," he smiled.  
  
"Among other things," Cybelle informed him. "Be careful how you use that stuff."  
  
"Right. Well, I think this stuff will give our witch a nasty surprise," he snickered. "Kind of ironic, don't you think?"  
  
"What is?" she asked.  
  
"Alti's speaking on shamanistic ritual, and I'm going to beat her at her own game," he grinned, grinding the herbs into a thick paste, filling the arrowpoints with the stuff, and placing wicks in them. "If she tries anything, I'll shoot her so full of this stuff, she'll fly higher than a kite on a summer breeze."  
  
She watched the preparations with admiration. Dave's trials and tribulations over the past three years had reforged him so that he wasn't so rash. Also, the deal between the two sides of his personality had to be admired as well. Always an expert strategist, he now prepared with precision and the patience not present in the past. "Nick and Xena have done their work well," she mused. Looking at her watch, she indicated, "We're under twenty minutes now until the talk starts. All set?"  
  
"On my end," he agreed, placing the shafts back in his quiver and checking the bow one last time. "How about the others?"  
  
"Angie, Francesca, and Eve are going to meet us there. The other Gabrielle will be right outside if needed," she explained.  
  
"Good," he replied nervously. "It's time. Let's go." With that, he placed his gear in a duffel bag and walked downstairs, followed closely by his sister who had disguised her appearance.   
  
Making their way through the busy crowd, the two siblings made their way into Social Sciences 100. As predicted, the room was stuffed with onlookers, but, with the aid of his senses, found Angie and the others quickly.  
  
"Hi, Honey," the oncologist greeted, kissing his cheek.  
  
"Hi, Princess," he replied. "When did you get back?"  
  
"This afternoon," Francesca informed him.   
  
Dave scanned the room. In the back, he saw Steve standing by the door. Over by the side door, he sensed Nick's presence and was sure that Schanke would be close to him.  
  
Right at 9 PM, Caitlin Sommers rose from her seat to the left of the podium and announced, "Good Evening, Everyone. I want to welcome you all to this special session. Tonight's speaker comes to us from the University of the Ukraine. She is an expert on ancient shamanistic practices. Let's welcome Dr. Althea Stepperider."  
  
After the crowd applauded, Stepperider stepped onto the dais and began to speak. For fifteen minutes, she droned on about common facts concerning the Steppe. Then, she allowed her eyes to glimmer at Dave in addition to his companions and stated, "Of course, men are not known for their feats during this time. In fact, the shamanesses often trounced them."  
  
Caitlin stared at her speaker and then, at her friend. What was going on? Then, an icy feeling ran up her spine. For some reason, she felt as if this woman had met her before. Looking at Dave, she mouthed, "Who?"  
  
He glanced at Angie knowingly and then nodded. Focusing on the speaker, he saw her suddenly for what she was. "Alti," he whispered, a smile spreading across his face.  
  
"I would ask a question of an audience member if I could?" Stepperider requested and continued to press on without waiting for a response, "Mr. Dubois, what do you think?"  
  
Francesca, Eve, and Angie stared at him nervously.   
  
For his part, he shrugged and replied, "About what?"  
  
"My statement of course. I have it good authority that you would know about such things," the speaker baited.  
  
He shook his head and retorted, "And how would you know that?" The concentration was evident on his face as sweat beaded across his forehead.  
  
"What are you doing?" Angie hissed low, not understanding why he was engaging in this deadly gamble.  
  
"Get ready! And trust me, I know what I'm doing!" he whispered. Then, turning back to the questioner, he continued, "I asked you a question, Madam. Can you answer it or would you allow me to tell a story of my own? Everyone, despite what our speaker said, there are exceptions to the rule. Alti was a mighty shamaness in her own day, wouldn't you say, Dr. Stepperider?"  
  
"Yes indeed," Stepperider concurred. "Your point is?"  
  
"Well, despite her power, or...dare I say...the stolen powers of others, she still couldn't beat a certain man face to face. In fact, rumor has it that the last time they confronted each other, she ran like the coward she is...oops...I meant was...." he taunted deliberately, watching the other carefully.  
  
His words burned at her craw. Oh, would she make him pay for those remarks! Running her hands through her sandy-brown hair, the disguised witch signalled to the rear of the room.  
  
Up on the catwalk, the Xena clone grinned and flung her chakram towards Dave.  
  
As the weapon neared him, Dave sensed its flight, but kept his attention focused on the podium. Suddenly, just as it was a foot from his head, he snatched it out of thin air. "Whoa! Lookie here!" he cracked and turned to the catwalk. There, he saw the other Xena leaning over the rail.  
  
"Angie, Francesca, Eve, get going! Now!" he advised.  
  
Alti hissed menacingly. By now, the cattle was getting nervous in the audience. Worse still, Dubois was indeed ready for her.  
  
For her part, the clone flipped down to the audience level and rushed towards Dave.  
  
"Get real!" he snickered and fired a psychic bolt at the doppelganger, knocking her off of her feet momentarily. "Now, drop the act, Alti," he challenged.  
  
"As you wish," she agreed, shifting her form back to the military garb of previous incarnations. "Yes, you were right and now, your friends are going to die for it."  
  
Everyone in the room recoiled at once in fear. The witch was back...again! Still remembering the last time, they rushed for the exits in a maddened frenzy. For their part, Schanke and Steve tried to control the exodus, but had little luck in doing so.  
  
The shamaness soaked in the wave of terror and laughed, "Oh, that is sweet! Fear from the sheep! Yes, Dubois, you were right. Now, what are you going to do about it?"  
  
Dave looked about him. Fortunately, the others had mostly made it to the exits and disappeared into the night. "I'm going to put you back where you belong, Hag," he hissed.  
  
"And he's not alone," Nick indicated, alighting in front of her on the stage.  
  
"The vampire!" she complained. "Oh, go away!" She rushed him, readying to touch him and shred the immortal's mind.  
  
The former crusader avoided her rush and delivered a hard elbow in her back. "I don't think so," he growled, allowing the vampire to surface visibly on his face.  
  
"Xena, take them!" the shamaness commanded.  
  
The warrior rose and charged Dave again. At that moment, a deadly streak arrested her progress. "What in Tartarus?" she asked.  
  
At the side entrance, the real Xena caught her weapon and returned it to her side. "Just your real self," she informed the other. "Gabrielle, be careful," she added to the Bard as the latter entered the room.  
  
"Right," Gabrielle agreed, holding her staff at the ready, knowing that the moment of truth would soon be at hand.  
  
At that moment, Dave grabbed his bow and arrows under the seat and called, "Now, Cybelle!"  
  
In response, the priestess filled the room with cottony mist, enveloping the combatants in its embrace. When it had cleared, they were on the mall area.   
  
Once they all got their bearings, it was clear the battle would resume. Only Heaven knew when it would happen.  
  
  
Chapter 13  
  
As the combatants were in transit, the crowd spilled out of the Social Sciences Building, desperately seeking to be anywhere but there. Well away from the scene, the media assigned to the talk began rolling film footage of the event in progress, relaying it to all points within the Old Pueblo and beyond.   
  
********  
In the nearby hotel room, Dijon cursed himself for letting the witch talk him into staying behind. "Now, we must intervene and risk further exposure!" he hissed.  
  
At that moment, the phone rang shrilly. The Burgundian answered it. "What is it?"  
  
"Dijon, it's us," the head renegade spat into the receiver. "What's going on down there? I thought she said it would be cut and dried with no problem."  
  
"I told you I didn't like the plan," the Enforcer reminded the other. "Now, it's going to get messy."  
  
"Try to keep a low profile if at all possible, Dijon. It's her funeral. Just make sure that nothing remains of our role in this affair. At least to the outside," the other dictated. "As for our targets, if the opportunity comes to take care of them, then do so. Otherwise, don't go out of your way."  
  
"We'll try," Dijon noted and hung up. Turning to his four remaining companions, he barked, "Come with me!"  
  
The four companions took off, making a beeline for the battle.  
  
If they had stayed but a minute longer, they would have seen a misty column materialize in their room. Cybelle stepped into the area and, after a quick search, found the necklace which the Enforcers had carelessly left behind.  
  
"Thank you very much, Boys," she chuckled, vanishing back into the mists again.  
  
************  
  
At KRAN, LaCroix prepared for his next Nightcrawler segment. Given the lecture at the U of A on that evening, the DJ was going to do one of his "Story-time" shows pertaining to Amazons and shamanesses. However, a special report of the battle drew his attention.  
  
"What?" he wondered and noticed the fog. "So, the Celtic witch makes her appearance. Interesting," he mused.  
  
Reaching out with his enhanced senses, the former general picked up both Nick's and Eve's presences in the midst of the conflict. In addition, the Kurgan witch was there, and the Enforcers were rapidly approaching them. "So, the renegades sent their messengers again, did they?" he grumbled. "Very well. It's time that an Elder got involved." With that, he took off into the night sky, heading for the U of A as well.  
  
**********  
  
Under the misty cover, Cybelle reentered the battle zone and stared at the various combatants, tensing for any movement. She was tempted to let the cover burn off, but, given the trouble that the media blitz would give them, the extra concentration was worth the effort. However, given the battle which was about to take place on the other side, the attention would be worthwhile. Accordingly, she allowed the cover to lift, revealing the two Warrior Princesses.   
  
  
*******************  
Off to the left of the priestess, the two Xenas circled each other, swords raised and poised to strike the first blow.  
  
"Who are you?" the clone asked.  
  
"I'm the real Xena," the warrior stated grimly, holding up her sword.  
  
"Oh really?" the other Thracian demanded and swung her blade.  
  
The two Warrior Princesses battled tooth and nail as the fog faded around them, revealing their presence to the gathered onlookers.  
  
"My Lord!" an elderly man yelled.  
  
"Look, there are two Xenas! This is so cool!" a teenaged girl cheered, thinking that this was a publicity stunt. "I knew Tapert wouldn't let us down! Season Seven! Yeah! Wait'll they hear about this on the list!"  
  
"So, which one is the real one?" Steve wondered, scratching his head at both the girl's reaction and the double dose of Warrior Princess mania in front of him.  
  
"Darned if I know," Schanke replied, giving Natalie a concerned look. "As long as the original wins." Staring into the fog, he wondered how his partner and Dave were faring against Alti.  
  
************  
  
Dave and Nick carefully circled the shamaness. Knowing what she could do, each man gave her a wide berth. For each one, the memory of their last encounter across the mall area was still fresh in their minds. Accordingly, they wanted no part of a sequel to that experience.  
  
"So, when are you going to do something?" Alti taunted. "Are you going to back up what you said in there?"  
  
The librarian pulled two shafts out of his quiver and lit the wicks. "Patience, I'll deal with you in a sec. Here's something to keep you occupied!" With a single motion, he sent the missiles at her, planting them on either side of her form.  
  
"You missed!" she cackled. "Is that the best you can do?"  
  
"3...2...1..." the librarian counted down. As he reached "1", the pasty solution exploded into a fine cloud of herbal particles, choking the witch.  
  
"cough>I'll make you...both...suffer for this!" she hissed and advanced out of the greenish cloud. Charging Nick, she missed by the slimmest of margins.  
  
"Are you feeling all right?" Dave baited. "You seem a tad bit off."  
  
Alti rocked on her feet. "What did you do to...me? You drugged me...What?"  
  
"St. John's Wart, among other things," the librarian grinned. "By now, you should be feeling so good that you won't be able to hurt a fly."  
  
"That's what you think!" she snarled and charged him this time.  
  
Without her powers, the shamaness was just a warrior. Granted, she was a gifted warrior, but only a warrior and thus, vulnerable.  
  
Dave avoided her charge and kicked her square in the posterior, sending her flying against a nearby brick façade.  
  
"Now, we get down to business," he snickered, floating deeper into the gray zone between his personalities. He delivered a powerful mental blast, sending Alti flying backward.  
  
By now, the herbs were starting to wear off. A smile crossed her face. "You'll regret that!"  
  
"Ah, promises...promises! Is that all you're going to do?" he baited, coming very close to her.  
  
Suddenly, she grabbed him around the throat and flooded him with negative mental energy. "I will shred your mind for the indignities which you have heaped on me!"  
  
For a split second, he felt a glimmer of pain and his knees began to quake. Then, taking a deep breath of the St. John's residue, the librarian regained his composure and ripped his attacker's hands off of him. "Nice try," he cracked. "But, no cigar!" Emitting another psychic pulse, he flung the shamaness away from himself.  
  
Somehow, despite the pain she felt, Alti managed to stagger to her feet once more. There was no way that she was going to let him win! Somehow, she would break him and take his power again.   
  
Then, from out of the mist, Cybelle appeared directly in front of her. "No more, Alti. You're finished!" she declared defiantly.  
  
"You!" the witch snarled and charged the priestess.   
  
Cybelle smiled and, using her abilities, popped in and out of the mists, avoiding the other's move.  
  
Alti spun to see her opponent watching her. "That power of yours! Damn it!" she cursed.  
  
"Are words all that you have left?" the priestess inquired, concentrating on her opponent.  
  
"No," the shamaness asserted and locked eyes with Cybelle, thus starting a battle of the wills. For her part, Alti sent negative mental energy at her adversary, causing the other to sweat profusely and ground her teeth under the strain.  
  
"Great Mother, help me..." she pleaded, trying to find her composure.  
  
"Now, you fall," the witch crowed.  
  
But, at that moment, the necklace's gem began to glow and somehow, helped to deflect the negativity. With that assistance, the Althanorian regained her composure and, with one great effort, reflected the energy back at Alti. "You...can...have that back!" she grunted.  
  
As the energy hit her, the shamaness was consumed by her own memories and nightmares. Suddenly, she felt Borias striking her in his yurt and throwing her outside. Then, the scene in India played itself out as the Darsham forced her death yet again. In between worlds, she saw Xena destroy her essence. Finally, back in the Amazon burial ground, she felt the sharp, cold pain of the branch impaling her anew.  
  
"Alti, I can help you!" Cybelle told her. "Please stop this!"  
  
But, the process was too far advanced. Scores of bruises appeared on her face and all over her body. Then, a spot on her chest appeared as the blood from the past wound soaked through her garb. Unable to stand, the witch fell to the ground. "Someday!" she hissed. "Someday!" With that, she breathed her last breath.  
  
The priestess rubbed her temple, trying to get rid of the headache. "I wish I were in the herbery right now," she sighed.  
  
"You okay?" Dave wondered.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. Other than this headache," she assured him. "At least, she's gone."   
  
"One can hope that it is permanent this time," Nick stated.  
  
"Right," the medievalist agreed. "At least, we survived her attack yet again."  
  
"Now, we can hope Xena does the same," Cybelle added. "Come on."  
  
Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com 


	4. Aftershocks Conclusion

Aftershocks  
David J. Duncan  
July 2001  
  
For notes & such, please see Part 1  
  
Chapter 14  
  
LaCroix alighted on the top of the Nugent Building and observed the scene in front of him. Although Cybelle's mist obscured most of the battle from even his senses, he knew that Dubois, Nicholas, and the priestess were engaged with the Kurgan witch and Dijon's minions. Then, on the side of the cloud, a section thinned and dissipated, revealing the two Xenas going steel to steel against each other.  
  
"What have we here?" the general mused. "Where did the other come from? And who made her?" Obviously, while such techniques had long been the domain of dime store novels, he recognized the cloning process as the chief source of the conflict in front of him. Somehow, the reincarnated Warrior Princess faced her darker half in what seemed to be a death duel. The other warrior had the familiar sinister leer, arched eyebrow, and the attitude.  
  
Turning, the clone spied him and spat, "Lucius! Come down here, and I'll finish the job! You, Coward!" Having said that, she returned to the battle at hand.  
  
LaCroix snarled angrily, his pride obviously wounded by her outburst. But the statement also made his mind flash back as well.....  
  
*****************************************  
  
[Eastern Gaul 65 AD]  
  
General Lucius stalked out of his tent at the first sound of the sentinel trumpets. The thunderclouds rumbled in the distance, lightning struck the distant hills on the horizon.  
  
"What now?" he wondered. Turning to his second-in-command, he ordered, "Tell the men to hold steady!"  
  
"Yes, Sir," the younger man agreed and hurried downslope toward the assembled legions nearby.  
  
"So, Xena, we will finally meet!" the general acknowledged. "For the glory of Rome!"  
  
"And you think your army can defeat her?" Ares' voice probed mockingly.  
  
"Yes, I do!" the legions' head protested, putting on his helmet. "It's my duty! It's my glory!" Turning to face the immortal, he added, "Your faith in her is overvalued."  
  
"We shall see," the god shrugged, vanishing from view.  
  
Just then, Lucius heard the sounds of combat echoing from the outskirts of his encampment. Looking downslope, he saw that the Gauls had engaged his legions and were holding their own. At the head of the army, the raven-haired harpy known as the Warrior Princess mowed a bloody swath through his regiments with sword and her accursed chakram. Her blonde sidekick, Gabrielle, also moved with a catlike grace, taking down enemies left and right.  
  
"Enough of this!" he yelled, mounting his horse, and galloping into the heart of the frenzy. Cutting his own path through the invaders, he soon came face to face with the Warrior Princess. "Now, you die," he hissed.  
  
Xena chuckled to herself and inquired grimly, "So, you're Lucius?"  
  
"Indeed," he nodded.  
  
She growled in spite of herself as the dark wave of her Conqueror persona threatened to sweep away her self-control. "Let's get on with it then," she glowered and swung her blade.  
  
He met her thrust with his own steel. For several seconds, they stared into each other's eyes. Then, they swung and parried, metal hitting metal, sound echoing off of sound as the deadly ballet of steel continued.  
  
Finally, he took a wild lunge and missed, exposing his flank.   
  
She, on the other hand, did not. Stabbing him in the side, the warrior watched her opponent crumble to the ground. "You're gonna hurt after what you did to the Gauls, Lucius!" she vowed angrily and raised her sword to finish him.  
  
At that moment, Ares appeared behind Lucius and smiled enthusiastically. While he always enjoyed a good battle, the sight of Xena the Conqueror, or as Alti had put it--"the Destroyer of Nations", warmed his blood. This was what he loved about her. "Finish him! Finish him now!" he urged.  
  
Gabrielle, however, seized her sword hand and disagreed, "No, Xena, he's beaten." Looking down at the defeated general lying semi-conscious on the ground badly wounded, weaponless, and defenseless, she continued, "To kill him now would be murder!"  
  
Xena stared at both parties and, for a split second, seemed to hang in the balance. Her sword was still poised to strike despite her friend's interference. However, the recent years of travel had influenced her and so, she sheathed the blade. "You're right, Gabrielle. Thanks."  
  
"No problem," the poetess asured her.  
  
Then, the warrior regarded the war god and shrugged, "Too bad, Ares. It almost worked. Almost but not quite."  
  
He sighed, shaking his head, "Ah, Xena. You were so glorious out there. Just like the old days. You should have finished him."  
  
"No, I've beaten him. There will be another time, another place," she stated prophetically.  
  
The Olympian nodded. Somehow, he sensed that these two would meet again and again over the ages. And just as with the shamaness, Xena would be ready for him. "There will always be another time for us as well."  
  
"Never again, Ares," she hissed.  
  
"Until next time," he promised, disappearing from view, leaving the carnage and the defeated leader behind.   
  
The two warrioresses for their part, turned and walked silently off of the field. There were no words to describe the brutality they had witnessed both here and outside of Aballo...  
  
Lucius watched helplessly, quivering in rage. "Someday...." he hissed impotently before finally giving into the pain and lapsing into unconsciousness.  
  
**********************************  
  
  
  
[Back in the Present]  
  
LaCroix shook his head angrily at the memory of that humiliation. No matter how long ago it had occurred, the pain remained vivid. Disgrace was not something that sat well with him in any form. Despite the urge to intervene, he still felt that discretion was the better part of valor. Accordingly, he waited for his opportunity.  
  
***********************************  
  
Meantime, the two raven-haired warriors continued to clash on the grassy area below. As they had been doing this for a while, they were starting to tire. However, neither woman would give in.  
  
Finally the Gabrielle-clone jumped in between them and declared, "Stop! Both of you!"  
  
Her counterpart held her staff between the two combatants and added, "Alti's gone! There's no more need to fight!"  
  
"Gone?" the two Xenas chorused.  
  
"Yes," Dave informed them, dragging the shamaness's body behind him. "She's gone. You two need to cut this out and make peace between yourselves."  
  
The real Xena nodded, "Absolutely! Let's stop this."  
  
"How do I know this isn't some plot by Ares?" the other hissed.  
  
"Xena, you know us," the real Gabrielle indicated. "All of us. Now please...."  
  
The warrior clone lowered her sword and agreed, "Fine. But, we're going to need to get out of here. Those warlords will be here soon....."  
  
"Right," the medievalist agreed. Then, his senses picked up on a familiar presence behind him. Spinning to his left, he discovered Dijon standing not twenty feet away from him.   
  
"You continue to amaze me, Dubois," the Burgundian admitted. "You dispose of my best Enforcers and continue to hound me." Leaning down, he picked up a chunk of the cooling metal in his hand. "Too bad, it was a valuable treasure."  
  
"I'll do a lot more than just 'hound' you, Bastard!" Dave bellowed, holding a stake-shaft in full view. "After what you did to Tony Samuelsohn and his wife!"   
  
"And I'll do the same to you," the head Enforcer promised. "When the time comes."  
  
"Not if I do it first!" the professor stated. "Too bad there are witnesses here. Back off while you can!"  
  
For his part, Dijon noted that the other man was teetering on the brink of rage and had no wish to engage this terror especially not with the mortals' technology recording his every move.  
  
"Dijon!" LaCroix challenged, stepping out of the crowd. "Stop this now!"  
  
The Enforcer spotted the Elder walking toward him. "Lucius, have a care! I have been sent to kill you as well!" he tensed.  
  
"You would listen to the words of a few children to me!" the general snarled. "This is over! Leave before you expose us all!"  
  
The former medieval mercenary stared at the assembling throng of reporters quickly setting up their equipment. In addition, without his subordinates, he could not defeat the group opposing him at this point. "Very well!" he hissed. "But this isn't over! Another time, Lucius!" Turning to the medievalist, he added, "And the same goes for you, Dubois. Remember, when you want to face me, go to where both of our nightmares started...."  
  
"What is that crap?" Dave challenged, readying a shaft. "As if I'm going to let you...."  
  
"Just remember our nightmares. And know, in that place, I will await you...." the Burgundian repeated and took off into the night just before the cameras could record his presence.  
  
Unfortunately, the others weren't so lucky. "I suggest a hasty retreat," Dave advised, running from the group of reporters down the lawn. Nick, LaCroix, Schanke, Natalie, Steve, Eve, and the four warriors matched his pace. Finally, as they rounded a corner, the familiar white haze lofted into sight.  
  
"Going my way?" Cybelle's voice offered, floating out of the mist.  
  
The others hurried into the portal, leaving the scene before the media horde could catch any more footage of their exploits for posterity.  
  
  
Chapter 15  
  
When the mists had thinned, the group saw that they were back at the eastside apartment complex once again. For the moment at least, the cameras and tape recorders remained behind at the university. However, as Nick, Schanke, and Natalie knew, they would be waiting at the precinct. Worse, Steve would need to have some kind of report for Ramirez and his own superiors.  
  
Cybelle studied her older brother closely. While the latter had started to cool down after the confrontation, she knew that the bigger hurdle remained to be crossed. Dijon's challenge could only mean one thing and in one place. "I wonder how his personas will react to that situation?" she dreaded to herself.  
  
LaCroix surveyed the group and announced, "Now that I know Nicholas is all right, I will take my leave."  
  
"LaCroix," Dave started. "I need to ask something of you."  
  
This statement grabbed everyone's attention. Normally, the medievalist would barely acknowledge the immortal's existence. However, these were not normal times.   
  
"That depends," the elder vampire shrugged.  
  
The professor hissed angrily, "It isn't a favor if that's what you think. I just want these Renegades dealt with. I would think they're an embarrassment to you as well."  
  
Steve stared at his friend and inquired, "You knew?"  
  
"I suspected as much," Dave continued. "Besides, no elder would send the Enforcers after us, especially after the library scenario. LaCroix's comment about 'children' cinched it for me." Looking at the elder vampire, he repeated his request, "Well?"  
  
"There will be a private meeting of the Elders soon on that issue. For once, Dubois, we are in agreement. The situation has become enough of an embarrassment to us all. However, now that Dijon has officially challenged you, we cannot interfere," the Roman noted.  
  
"LaCroix, you can't be serious!" Nick interjected.  
  
"According to the Code, once the challenge of vengeance has been issued and accepted, then it is between them," LaCroix replied dryly. "Nicholas, you cannot interfere."  
  
"But, if he's one of my companions, he can be there. Correct?" Dave asked.  
  
"If he insists on that point," the former general admitted, allowing a brief glance toward his former protégé. "I will let you know about the meeting's result. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a show to do." With that, he took off into the night.  
  
"Man, he can sure make an exit," Schanke commented.  
  
"C'mon, let's get in the house," Natalie urged, looking around to see if anyone was watching.  
  
Dave unlocked the door and led his companions inside. Once there, he quickly secured the door.  
  
"Okay, so now what?" Steve probed anxiously. "Now, that the clones are here, I'm going to have to arrest them."  
  
The Xena clone tensed and drew her sword, "Nobody's taking me and Gabrielle without a fight!"  
  
Her counterpart agreed, "I think that might be an unwise move on your part."  
  
Eve glanced at her friends. Certainly, this was a situation that needed to be resolved. "Perhaps, there might be a solution. Cybelle, isn't there somewhere they could go?"  
  
The priestess nodded, "Yes, I can take them back to Althanor. Once there, the high priestess and I can determine a new place for them." Turning to the clones, she added, "Would this be satisfactory to you both?"  
  
The two clones looked at one another for a moment. Finally, Gabrielle nodded, "I think that would work."  
  
"At least for now," the other Xena agreed. "We can go if everyone would like."  
  
"Nonsense," Dave disagreed. "You're both friends. Enjoy some hospitality, at least for awhile."  
  
Across the room, the reincarnated Xena changed herself back into Angie. "I agree," she indicated. "Would you like a cup of tea?"  
  
"That would be great," the Gabrielle clone concurred.  
  
"Thanks," the warrior accepted.  
  
The oncologist started the water brewing and brought out a plate of oatmeal cookies. "While the water's going, here's something for everyone."  
  
Schanke took one and bit into it, "Mmm, this is great! Thanks, Angie!"  
  
Natalie nodded, "These look great."  
  
Nick stood up and excused himself, "Sorry, but since your grandfather is still at my loft, I need to look in on him."  
  
Cybelle glanced at Angie and asked, "Would you like me to bring him here? It wouldn't be any trouble."  
  
"That would be great! Nick, is it all right?" Angie inquired.  
  
"Absolutely!" the vampire detective agreed.   
  
"Be back in just a minute," the priestess indicated, disappearing into a misty column. As promised, barely any time seemed to pass before she reentered the area, gently guiding Alex at her side.  
  
"Grandpa Alex, how are you?" Angie wondered.  
  
"I'm fine," he told her. "But, I want to ask you all the same question. With all of that fuss over at the university, are you all okay?"  
  
"We're all fine," Dave indicated.  
  
"I'm glad to hear it," the elderly man replied, relieved. "The cameras showed you baiting Alti, David. You were taking a real chance there."  
  
"Tell us about it," Eve sighed. "David, why did you do that?"  
  
"To provoke her," the medievalist shrugged. "Besides, she interrupted my event the last time. Hey, I got the results we needed. She exposed herself and we didn't. Too bad about the necklace, though."  
  
"What about the necklace? What happened to it?" the archaeologist demanded.  
  
"It...disintegrated," Cybelle noted. "After I used it on Alti, it just...melted. Rather than get burned, I let it fall to the ground."  
  
"It was just a ordinary golden glob," Dave added. "The jewel was destroyed as well. Hopefully, this means that Alti's finished with us."  
  
"At least for a while," Francesca agreed. "I've had enough of her to last for the rest of my life, thank you."  
  
"As have I," Alex concurred, shuddering. "Even after sixty years, her touch still chills my soul."  
  
"She has that effect," the Xena clone explained.  
  
He looked at both Angie and Xena, albeit confusedly. "I thought that you two were in the same body. How?"  
  
"She's a clone as is the other Gabrielle, Grandfather," Angie commented. "But, they're still a part of us."  
  
"Right," Francesca agreed enthusiastically.  
  
Alex nodded and sat back in his chair. Looking at the younger people around him, he smiled. How he treasured his moments around them and the remaining time to be spent in the future as well. Such times made life worthwhile.  
  
  
(Additional note: Thanks to KC, Mindi, and Judy for their suggestions towards this section and the rest of the story!!!)  
  
  
Conclusion  
  
Sunset on the following day failed to bring relief to the sudden heat of the mid-afternoon. Even as the ordinary folks in the Old Pueblo scurried about in search of their air conditioners, several others meditated on the future and what it would hold for them.  
  
************  
  
Outside of the University precinct, Tracy stood in the parking lot, waiting for Vachon. She had received a note saying "Meet me in the same spot about 9 PM". Accordingly, she made sure she was on time for the rendezvous. "Well, at least it's below 100," she griped.   
  
"How did Miles ever talk you into moving here?" Vachon's voice teased from above.  
  
The blonde detective spun to see the Iberian vampire behind her. He grinned ear to ear as he enjoyed ribbing her. "I wish you wouldn't do that!" she declared.  
  
"Well, I could just leave," he shrugged, half-seriously.  
  
"No! Don't...do that," she told him.   
  
He smiled and picked her chin up with his right hand. Staring into her eyes, he stated, "After all that time I spent looking for you? Get serious. Anyway, I noticed that 'Button' was looking for her 'conquistador' to room with her in today's Star. That wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"  
  
"Uh, yeah. I figured you'd know...since you know my father's nickname for me," she smiled sheepishly. Her eyes twinkled and she continued, "You still need a place to live?"  
  
"Yeah, but I don't want to intrude on your privacy either, Trace," he commented.   
  
"It's okay...Really. I need a roomie to help with bills and stuff. Since we're already friends, I thought that we might split the rent among other things," she assured him. "Well?"  
  
He nodded, "Okay, you got a deal. Can I start moving in tomorrow?"  
  
"That's sounds great!" she cheered, albeit a bit more enthusiastically than she meant to. "Well, I have to get back inside. With Nick and Schanke working with Steve, my paperwork's tripled. I'll see you later?"  
  
"Count on it," he agreed and took off into the evening sky.  
  
Tracy stared up into the twinkling evening sky. Despite all of the recent confusion, it seemed that life was finally starting to work out for her after all. Whistling a light tune, she walked back toward the building, her night improving with each moment.  
  
*********  
  
Natalie parked her car outside of the airport. For some reason, nobody had been able to give Steve a lift to catch his flight back to San Francisco except for her. The time together had been pleasant. In gratitude for her assistance, he had taken her to dinner in which she had the best conversation and food over a dining table in quite a while.  
  
"Thank you, Steve," she smiled. "You didn't have to do dinner. I mean you're always helping us out."  
  
The agent shrugged, "That's okay. Look, I'm sorry if I presumed too much by asking you out to dinner. I know you and Nick are kind of an item."  
  
"We're friends. Beyond that, I really can't tell with him," she noted. "He's so protective of me that he doesn't want me too close. And then, there's Alyce."  
  
He furrowed his eyebrow and inquired, "What about her?"  
  
"Well, back in Toronto, there was a real magnetism between them. And now that she's here, I feel it starting up again," she explained. "How do I compete with that, Steve?"  
  
"Have you talked with him about your feelings?" he inquired. "You need to tell him what you're telling me. For both of your sakes."  
  
"I mean I've waited for six years for him to make up his mind, and he's still waffling," she sighed.   
  
"I can't say that I've been in your shoes," he admitted. "But, talk to Dave. Believe me, he waited too long for his own situation to straighten out before he asked Karen Montoya on a date."  
  
"And...?" she started and realized, "She had met Mike by then, right?"  
  
"You got it," he agreed. "I'm just hoping that you and everyone else will be happy."  
  
"And you? Is there anyone?" she inquired.  
  
"No. I have some great friends that I go out with, but no, I haven't dated anyone in quite some time. You know how law enforcement is and what it does to relationships," he explained.  
  
"Brother, do I know all about that!" she concurred. For a long minute, she stared into his eyes and saw the warmth she had only seen from Nick at various times.  
  
He studied her face as well. For a split second, he wished that he could transfer to Tucson permanently. Then, he remembered that his life was in Frisco and told her. "Sorry, but I do have my plane to catch. I will be back to visit at some point though."  
  
"Well, we're always happy to see you," she laughed nervously. "Maybe you might stop by when you aren't on a case?"  
  
He grinned. These people were rapidly becoming good friends to him. He could see why Dave and Angie liked them so much. "Bet on it. Now, I have to go."  
  
"Okay, well have a good trip," she concluded and, for some reason she couldn't fathom, kissed him on the cheek.  
  
He chuckled and got out of the car. With a kind smile, he concluded, "Thank you, Natalie, for everything. I'll be back soon. Count on it." Having said that, he walked through the revolving doors. Before he vanished from view, he waved to her one last time.  
  
For a long while, Natalie drove around town that night, wondering what was happening to her. For some reason, her feelings were gravitating toward Steve. Sure, he was a good-looking guy and all, but wasn't she supposed to be in love with Nick? And why didn't she feel guilty about these new feelings? "Maybe he's right," she sighed. "Perhaps, this is my wakeup call." With that thought in mind, she turned back onto I-10, heading north. Distance would be a great thing on that particular night.  
  
********  
  
Nick stood atop his building and surveyed the downtown area. So much had happened to them all over the past few days. Now, the Enforcer situation threatened to boil over. LaCroix would soon meet with the other Elders to discuss the Community's larger status. The Renegades were about to ignite a civil war. The clone crisis had upset matters as well. With the damage in New York, people didn't know what to think of her and Gabrielle. Dave was sliding back into an increasingly bestal state. Worse still, he and Dijon would soon face each other again. Like Cybelle, he knew exactly where the battle would take place and the uncertainties underlying that combat for both adversaries.  
  
"Dave, I hope you know what you're doing...." he sighed to the empty air in front of him.  
  
Then, he sensed another presence alight in back of him and quickly recognized it. "Janette."  
  
"Oui, mon Cher, it is I," the vampiress indicated. "Are you all right, Nicolas? I sensed the tension as soon as I reentered the city."  
  
"I'll live," he assured her. "I just have a lot on my mind is all."  
  
The immortal lady of the night chuckled incredulously, "Poor Nicolas, you always have a lot on your mind. But now, you brood more than ever. Come now, tell me...."  
  
He smiled in spite of himself. She always knew what was in his heart. Realizing that it would be futile to hide anything from her, he relented, "There's the Enforcer situation and the recent attack by Alti. Then, there's Dave Dubois' situation...."  
  
"Ah yes. The fool is going to face Dijon again. The whole vampire community is buzzing about it. But, it is time for them to end this rivalry once and for all," she noted.  
  
"It's pride versus vengeance. And I'm putting my money on Dave. Especially given the battleground," he asserted.  
  
"Ah yes. And, of course, you will be there. So will LaCroix--as the Elders' representative. Xena and the Celtic priestess will be close by I'm sure. But, whatever happens, mon ami, remember you cannot interfere. The other Enforcers will be there to insure that, trust me," she continued. Then, she giggled slightly.  
  
"I fail to see anything humorous in the situation," he groused.  
  
She shook her head and added, "No, that wasn't what I was laughing at. I'm sorry. But, tell me, is there something else going on?"  
  
"Something else?" he probed. "My mind's already occupied with enough matters. What else could there be?"  
  
Janette allowed her eyes to shine at him and chuckled again, "Ah, Nicolas, you think I've forgotten what you're like when you're aroused by another?"  
  
He shook his head and stated, "Of course, there are my feelings for Natalie."  
  
"And perhaps for someone else as well?" she inquired, allowing her eyes to lock with his. "The curator, Alyce Harriss perhaps?"  
  
"What?" he asked, looking shocked.  
  
She chuckled knowingly, "You were always a bad liar and worse still at hiding your feelings from us. You don't think I haven't noticed how she pines for you in the museum night after night? Or how she embraced you at the loft that night? Of course, there's also the scene at the museum when the Enforcers attacked. Yes, Dijon has let the word leak out. Truly, he was amused by it or so my sources inform me."  
  
"It's true. I don't understand it," he admitted. "Ever since she's returned from France, everything's been so confused. I still care about Natalie, but I have these feelings for Alyce."  
  
"Can it be? Our Nicolas has fallen for another vampire at last! Well, no matter how the situation works itself out, I promised Natalie I would stay out of it. You two will do as you will. But, I will tell you one thing," she declared, turning to depart.  
  
"And that is?" the former crusader inquired.  
  
She looked endearingly over her shoulder at him, allowing her eyes to shine in the moonlight, and requested, "End the triangle. You, Natalie, and I did it for years in Toronto. Don't do it to her and Alyce now. Make a firm decision for their sakes. If you care about them, please do it. You don't know how badly I want you to be happy. Eternity is a long time to be miserable. Now, I must depart. Au revoir." With that, she took off into the black sky.  
  
For a long while, he stood frozen in his tracks, staring at the horizon and searching for answers. Then, he decided to take the initiative. With that, he followed Janette into the sky.  
  
**************************  
  
Alyce paced the halls of the museum anxiously. While the conversation with her superiors had gone well, the loss of the exhibit's main treasures had left a sour taste in everyone's mouths. Amazingly enough, however, that issue was not the foremost thing on her mind at the moment. Rather, her feelings for a certain Flemish ex-knight occupied her thoughts at that particular moment.  
  
"I wish I knew how he felt about me," she wondered aloud, staring to the night sky through the glass.  
  
"I wish I knew as well," Nick's voice echoed from behind her.  
  
She smiled and turned to stare into his icy blue eyes. Immediately, her breath caught in her throat as her own passion swept over her. "Kiss me. Please."  
  
Something clicked inside of him. They embraced tightly, and he felt the fires rising inside of himself as well.   
  
Once again, Janette's words echoed across his thoughts, "End the triangle...End the triangle...."  
  
"I hope this is the right thing to do," he mused and sealed their mouths in a long, passionate kiss. Suddenly, he realized that this was right and somehow, he and Alyce were meant to be together. For five long minutes, they kept it up.  
  
Finally, Nick edged himself away and turned towards the window. Now, that the rubicon had been crossed, his feelings had become clear. He had indeed done the right thing  
  
She clasped his shoulder, not wanting him to reject her and begged, "Nick! Please don't say that it was wrong! No!"  
  
He turned to face her once again. The moonlight cast a delicately pale glow accentuating her features and seeming to surround her in a brilliant halo of light. No, there was something about this woman. He sensed it more and more with each passing minute. "It wasn't wrong, Alyce, Suddenly, everything is clear...Very clear indeed...." he assured her.  
  
She sensed a familiar presence watching them nearby and, allowing her eyes to sparkle at him, indicated, "Shall we go...talk in my office, Nick? It's much more...private."  
  
Feeling that same touch across his senses, he concurred, "Good idea." And, flying in that direction, they left the upper concourse empty, save for the echoes from their voices.  
  
***************************  
  
From the top of the Art Building, LaCroix had observed the scene with satisfaction. After spending much of the evening setting up the Elders' meeting for the subsequent weekend, he had followed his former protege to the museum hoping to see what had indeed happened. "Well now," he snickered. "At least, something good will come out of all of this after all." With that, he flew away, content to let the two younger vampires have their privacy for whatever was about to happen.  
  
***************************  
  
Angie closed the bedroom door behind her. The twins and Deirdre had finally drifted off to sleep. In the guest room, Alex slept uneasily. How she wished she could do the same. The repercussions of the attack still worried her. What would happen to them? How much more would the university be able to stand? Granted, they were two of the most productive faculty members, but even loyalty had its limits.  
  
She saw Dave staring out the door at the twinkling stars. "He's one of those moods again," she realized. Putting on a pot of water, she watched him carefully. He was already focusing on that bloody fight with Dijon. "Does he hate Dijon that much that he would be willing to throw everything away?" she wondered aloud as she poured two cups of tea and walked them over to the coffee table. "Honey?" she asked.  
  
"Hmmm?" he asked.  
  
"Are you okay? You have me worried. Is it the Child?" she probed.  
  
"No, for once, he's behaving himself," he stated. "No, this is bigger than that." He sat down beside the table and sipped on a cup of blackberry tea. "Oh, this hits the spot! Thanks, Princess."  
  
"You're welcome," she told him. "I was hoping that would calm you down a bit."  
  
"I'm okay now," he convinced her. "But seeing him makes my blood boil."  
  
She felt a tear cascade down her cheek. "I could see that. But how could you accept that challenge of his?"  
  
"Like I have a choice," he rebuted.  
  
"You could have just walked away," she stated firmly.  
  
He snickered incredulously, "You really believe that, don't you? Angie, I'm sorry, but you and Xena both heard him as clearly as I did. If I don't face him now, then we'll be hunted for the rest of our lives. Sorry, I don't want that for you or the girls."  
  
"I think that we can take care of ourselves with Xena's and Gabrielle's help of course," she countered.   
  
"I'm not going to argue about this," he declared. "You heard LaCroix...What's done is done."  
  
"And if he makes me a widow? Then what?" she cried. "Dave, think about this please! I don't want the girls growing up without a father. We've been through so much with them already! I couldn't bear to lose you." Slumping back in the chair, she sobbed fretfully.  
  
He hugged her close to himself, feeling her presence against his own. As much as he hated to admit it, she had a point. But then again, so did he. In the coming days, he would need to make his stand for everyone around him...his friends, family, and most importantly, himself.  
  
Looking over her shoulder to the sky, he saw the stars twinkle of their own volition. Sadly, they had no answers for him. Only the future events would reveal his fate and that was a while off yet. For now, all Dave and Angie could do was hug each other tightly and pray for help. And for the rest of that evening, they did so. Hoping for the miracle which would assist them in the ordeal to come....  
  
THE END (for now....)  
  
(**Well, that's the "Alti Returns" trilogy in the books! I hope you liked it! Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com. By the way, if you want to hear as soon as I release a new story from this or any other of my series, then sign up for "DuboisChroniclesUpdates" on Yahoogroups by using your Yahoo ID or by emailing me!**)  
  
(**In terms of what happens next, the sequel to this work is about third in line right now on the story "runway" for liftoff. After the prologue to my "Amazon Scrolls" series and a retrospective story earlier in the Dubois series is finished, then I will write this next work.**)  


Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com 


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